


･ Ugli's One-Shot Collekution ･

by prettiugli



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, Multi, Other, Pride, Prideshipping, Re-upload, Scandalshipping, Violetshipping, flareshipping, mature - Freeform, not everything is tagged yet, oneshots, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2020-05-02 10:46:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 95,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettiugli/pseuds/prettiugli
Summary: a collection of one shots! various pairings + smexy times.some were requested, some weren't, please enjoy!





	1. ･ ･ ･ TABLE OF CONTENTS ･ ･ ･

* * *

* * *

 + [KAIBA ON THE RUN [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/45637237)

･ ･ ･

\+ [NOAH’S REBIRTH [slice of life, attempt at canon resolution]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/45637312)

･ ･ ･

+[ COLLARED & OWNED [flareshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/45637396)

･ ･ ･

\+ [A DIGITAL AFFAIR [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/45637648)

･ ･ ･

\+ [MOKUBA'S ANTICS [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/45637696)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [PET SLAVE YAMI [flareshipping, dark themes]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/45637750)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [VAMPIRE YAMI [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/45637807)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [STRIP [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/46980055)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [CALLING [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/46980148)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [SECRET AFFAIRS [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/46980217)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [CARELESS WISHES [violetshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/46980415)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [ROYAL GIFT [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/46983910)

･ ･ ･  
  
+[ BLIND DATE [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/47007406)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [1v1 [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/53995567)

･ ･ ･  
  
+[ DUEL OF FATE [prideshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/55125577)

･ ･ ･  
  
\+ [HOT [scandalshipping]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19197232/chapters/55224592)

･ ･ ･  
  
+

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+


	2. KAIBA ON THE RUN [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba must hide in a small, weird, quirky town and meets the local (& real) psychic Atem.

Kaiba stepped into the musty motel and set his briefcase down on the floor. He approached the deserted front desk and tapped on the bell.

The sharp ding shattered the silence around him, and he surveyed his surroundings, still seeing no one.

In fact, he had not seen anyone since he had set foot into the town. This place was practically a ghost town, so it was a perfect hiding spot.

Impatient and eager to get into a room, Kaiba slammed his palm down on the bell again, craning his neck, looking for an attendant, or anyone dressed like one.

“Hello?! I’d like to check in!” Kaiba called, thinking he would hop over the counter and steal one of the keys by hacking into their ancient computers.

Nothing but silence answered his call.

He heard a soft cough behind him, and he whirled around frantically, seeing an odd, hooded figure sitting at a table-for-two by the windows.

Finally, someone. The first human he had seen in the past few hours.

Kaiba picked up his briefcase and strode over to the figure, his mind churning with questions—the first one being: where was everyone?  
The second one being: is everyone dead?  
The third being: let me stay with you, I’ll pay anything you ask.

“Have a seat, Seto Kaiba,” the hooded figure said in a resounding voice that seemed to reverberate in his bones, and he gestured towards the empty chair across from him.

Kaiba said nothing and stared at the tanned, slender hand peeking out from under the dark cloth. Who…and what?

“I’ll answer all three of your questions,” the mysterious figure said slyly, “And more. Sit.”

Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Kaiba took a seat and folded his arms across his chest protectively, finally getting a good look at the man’s face.

His heart skipped several beats as he stared into a pair of beautiful, violet eyes, lined with dark makeup. He had high cheekbones and a delicate, sharp chin, and when his lips moved, Kaiba felt the hair raise along his arms.

A…beautiful man.

“Yes, thank you,” the man said absently, lowering his hood and clasping his hands before him. “The men who are after you will find you here. You’d better leave now while you’re still ahead.”

“Shut up,” Kaiba replied automatically, his mouth going strangely dry at the magnificent sight of the man’s spiky tri-colored hair. Wow, what was this guy made out of? He was also wearing an unusual amount of jewelry. Large golden earrings swung down from his ears, almost touching his shoulders, where a bejeweled neckplate peeked out from underneath the dark, purple robe.

A costumed freak perhaps?

“You’re a bad man, Seto Kaiba—”

“I said, shut up!” Kaiba thumped his fist down on the table, glaring. “Are the owner of this dump? Give me a room. I’ll pay three times—”

“Three times my usual rate, yes, yes,” the man rolled his eyes and held his hand out for a friendly shake. “I’m Atem. Call me by my name, and if I hear the word ‘freak’ again, you’ll have another thing coming to you, Seto Kaiba.”

Kaiba clenched his jaw tightly and did not return the shake.  
What kind of mind-games was this guy playing?

“I’m a psychic,” Atem explained patiently, adjusting his robe around his shoulders regally. “And I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Violence is in your aura, and we don’t need that kind of energy here.”

“Oh really,” Kaiba seethed, wondering if this man was a spy sent to follow him. “Sure. Now give the bad, violent man a room here, or you’ll have another thing coming to you, and it’ll be my fist.”

“See? Violence,” Atem said mildly, seemingly unfazed. “You should just be honest with your shareholders and say that your project failed. You’re out of money…which means you’re out of options.”

“You don’t know half of what you’re talking about,” Kaiba hissed, curling his fist tightly, his blood boiling. “And if you’re so psychic, then tell me how this ends.”

“Touch my hand, and we’ll see,” Atem said seriously, holding his hand out again and making eye contact for the first time, finding himself startled by Kaiba’s clear blue eyes. “But you can’t afford my usual rate—”

Before Atem could finish his sentence, Kaiba grabbed his hand, sending him reeling into a vision so vivid, the room faded around them and morphed into a hallway. The motel’s hallway. Kaiba’s hands were in his hair and raking down the sides of his body with furious passion, hiking his robes up around his hips while a slender hand came down to grab at his hardness through his clothes.

Stunned, Kaiba blinked rapidly, registering that he was still sitting upright, at the table by the window, holding onto Atem’s hand, but his body was on fire. He was kissing Atem. His lips were warm, and his breath was sweet. His teeth found its way past his lower lip and down his neck, landing on his collar bone while hot hands slid up his chest and across his groin, groping shamelessly.

Kaiba’s stomach twisted violently with arousal, and he jerked his hand back, shaking with a mixture of shock and resentment.  
What the fuck was that? A prank?!

“No…that was…the future,” Atem breathed, looking equally as horrified. His angular eyes were widening as he spoke.  “Honestly Kaiba, what will it take to make you believe me?”

“Near future? Or distant future?” Kaiba asked, hating himself when he realized his boner was poking resolutely upwards inside his pants, straining painfully against the zipper.  
  
This fake-physic man was wrong.

Just because he was out of money didn’t mean he was out of options. He was still good-looking, and clearly, if this man wanted to prank him with a sexual vision, then maybe that would be his way to safety.

He could fuck his way into this motel.

“No…No, you stop that,” Atem said shakily, pointing an accusing finger at Kaiba. “You see? It _is_ the near future after all!”

Kaiba said nothing, and the two men stared at each other for a long moment.

The silence grew heavier and heavier, and stretched on for an eternity.

* * *

**Author's note:**

requested by Kailyn


	3. NOAH’S REBIRTH [slice of life, attempt at canon resolution]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After offering himself as a vessel for Noah’s conscience, Mokuba takes his step-brother on a tour around his new life.

Kaiba bent down and gently gripped Mokuba’s hand, feeling his own hand grow clammy.

The doctors and nurses hovered protectively by his side, silently pressuring him to close the pod, but Kaiba couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“I’ll be okay, Seto,” his younger brother reassured him, his large gray eyes shining with bravery and hope. “I’ll wake up and I will be fine. You can let go now.”

Mokuba gave his brother’s hand a firm pat before pushing it off his arm and nodding at the scientist hovering to his left, “I’m good.”

“Mokuba…I will never forgive you—” Kaiba couldn’t finish his threat. His little brother willingly strapped into the VR pod with various nodules connected to his arms, head, chest and neck was a distressing sight to see, and it was causing his throat to close up with anxiety.

“Shut up, Seto, I said I’ll wake up,” Mokuba grinned and flashed a sideways thumbs-up, managing to keep his fist flat against his knee, avoiding all the wires hooking him into the pod.

Numb with fear and concern, Kaiba barely nodded before he straightened up and gently eased the pod shut, hearing his staff buzzing behind him.

Unable to bring himself to watch anymore, Kaiba stepped back and turned away, his stomach churning with nausea, letting the doctors take his place beside Mokuba’s pod.  
  
Mokuba was offering to be a vessel for Noah’s conscience.

He was willingly giving his brother a mental disorder if this went wrong.

Yugi wasn’t exactly the soundest mind on the planet, and Yami was flat-out crazy whenever he showed his face, Kaiba wasn’t sure what the right thing was anymore.

How would he know that Noah wouldn’t completely mentally destroy Mokuba from the inside out?

They were taking a huge leap of faith here…huge!

  
But Mokuba had insisted, giving him a sound argument coupled with thorough research, followed by a “it’s my body, so I can do what I want with it because I’m old enough to make my own choices”.

Sitting down in a small plastic chair beside an empty station, he hung his head in his hands, his shoulders growing heavy with dread. He could hear the soft murmurs from his staff, sounding rushed and urgent.   
Oh god…did something happen?  
  
It had only been two minutes since Mokuba had been shut inside the pod…or had it been two hours?

Another eternity went by and Kaiba crossed all his limbs tightly, before uncrossing them and fumbling his phone out of his pocket. For the lack of something better to do, he texted Yugi out of sheer panic and frustration.

If anyone knew what it was like to have another voice living in their head, it was Yugi.

Inside the pod, Mokuba felt oddly at ease. Everything was warm and comfortable.

He found himself standing in a white, empty expanse, and he called out tentatively.

“Noah? I’m here! Stop hiding. Seto is waiting and he’s really worried.”

After a tense moment of silence, his step-brother materialized before him, looking deeply pensive and quite worried.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Mokuba, what if I mess it up somehow?” Noah whispered, rushing forward to grab Mokuba’s hands in his, giving them a tight squeeze, feeling his warmth seeming quickly into him.   
Warm…so real…and so warm!

“You won’t mess it up, because I think I know how it works,” Mokuba said confidently, “Just listen to me…and we’ll be fine.”

Noah shook his head frantically, tears pooling in the corner of his large, angular eyes. “Seto hates me. How will that work?”

“It just will, you dummy,” Mokuba growled, closing his eyes and pulling Noah into a tight embrace, feeling his step-brother trembling in his arms. “We have each other. It’ll work.”

“Okay…” Noah breathed, letting Mokuba’s reassuring words wash over him like a calm wave, and his mind hummed pleasantly while his fingertips tingled with an odd feeling.

His stomach gurgled strangely, and Noah opened his eyes frantically, seeing nothing but an odd pane of glass above him and several unfamiliar faces were peering down at him through it, their brows furrowed with concern.

“M-Mokuba?” Noah croaked, wondering why his voice sounded odd and his throat was incredibly dry.

Mokuba was nowhere to be seen…and who were these weird people?   
Had he accidently teleported himself into a bad simulation inside of the old game? Oh no….! Oh no oh no…he had never seen this map before!   
How long would he be stuck here until he found a portal for escape?   
Months? Years?!

 _It’s ok! Calm down…don’t freak out!_ Mokuba’s voice echoed loudly in the back of his mind, and Noah winced, clapping a hand to his ear, “Ow! Don’t yell!” and a blaring alarm sounded off in the room after the cords connected to his arm ripped off from the force of his movements.

Gaping at his arm, Noah froze. All of his senses returned in a sudden rush, causing his head to spin with delirium.

It…had…worked?!

He could smell an odd sterile scent, mixed in with silicon and plastic that surrounded him in the pod. The glass seal was lifted and Seto Kaiba rushed at him, grabbing his hand tightly, his expression clouded with worry.

“Mokuba? How do you feel…Mokuba? Answer me…!”

The warm scent of coffee flooded his senses and Noah gaped at Seto, gazing into his clear blue eyes which were wide with panic.

Seto smelled like coffee!

His mouth was moving, shaking him furiously while alien hands grabbed at his shirt and began checking his pulse.

Seto smelled like coffee…! This was the scent of coffee! How long had it been since he had smelled anything remotely related to food?

A light shone obtrusively in his eyes, and Noah threw an arm stubbornly across his face, “Don’t!”

“Oh good…you can talk,” Kaiba fumed, gripping his brother by the shoulders and giving him another squeeze. “Get out of the pod. This silly experiment of yours is over.”

 _Let me in! My turn!_ Mokuba insisted, and Noah hugged himself tightly, shutting his eyes and rocking back and forth, trying to calm the frantic pounding of his heart. How? How did it work?

He opened his eyes again and saw Seto pull him into a hug. Bracing himself, Noah turned his head and cried out, “I’m Noah!”

“God…Mokuba…” Kaiba wrapped his arms around his little brother and lifted him out of the pod, setting him down on his feet and inspecting him from head to toe. “You fucking gave me a heart attack. And? Well?”

“I feel fine…” Mokuba ventured, holding his hands out in front of himself and flexing his fingers. He gave his feet a solid kick and hopped on one foot, just to make sure his body was still fully his own.

“What are you doing?” Kaiba narrowed his eyes suspiciously, wondering if the transfer had worked. He turned to address his staff.

“Hey, run a check on all the possible—”

“No, Seto! Stop!” Mokuba cried, rushing forward and pulling his brother into a tight embrace, “Noah was scared. He said you hated him.”

Noah watched his exchange with rising incredulity, understanding that he was still present, but at the same time, not present at all.

He could still smell Seto’s overwhelming stench of coffee, and he could hear and see everything that was going on as if he was watching a movie, starring Mokuba.

“Can you hear me?” Noah ventured carefully, watching Kaiba return the hug with equal force and bend down to gaze into his little brother’s face.

“What happened?” Kaiba asked seriously, gazing deeply into Mokuba’s eyes, and Mokuba shook his head blithely, answering with a chirpy, “Nothing! He didn’t show up.”

“Yes I did,” Noah protested, and he watched Mokuba hold the grin steady on his face.

Mokuba grit his teeth, willing Noah to shut up.

He needed to prove to Seto that he could function normally, otherwise, there would be tests upon tests, and it would be a never-ending torture of constantly being monitored.

They would tell Seto together…when they were ready.

 _I get it,_ Noah whispered, and he watched Kaiba walk away slowly, accompanied by another masked doctor.

“Seto…I’m sleepy,” Mokuba called, giving his brother a quick wave over his shoulder, and he dashed to the lab’s exit, stubbornly ignoring Noah’s questions.

 _Why are we lying to him? Mokuba, talk to me!_ Noah cried, and Mokuba growled nervously back at him.

_Shut up for two seconds, wait until we’re back home!_

Mokuba stepped out into the bright sunlight and heard Noah gasp happily.

 _Sun! Mokuba wait…stand here…please?_ Noah begged, gazing up at the wonderful blue sky sporting a few wispy clouds.

Everything looked so much better when it wasn’t slightly pixelated!

 _Okay, but…hurry up_ , Mokuba grumbled _, Isono is coming by with the car soon._

He stood still for a moment and let Noah ease excitedly into his conscience.

Noah threw his arms out to his side, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air, his body wonderfully warm.

This was…amazing!   
He was alive!

“I’m alive…” Noah mumbled, shielding his eyes from the sun, feeling the wind breeze through his hair and he let out an ecstatic laugh. “I’m alive! Mokuba! I’m alive!”

 _Stop yelling! Someone will hear you!_ Mokuba hissed, and Noah clapped a hand over his mouth, forgetting for a moment that he wasn’t the only person in the universe anymore. He was in a world with other people…real people!

“What now?” Noah asked nervously, seeing a long black limousine pull right up beside him, and a tall, greying manservant climbed out and bowed.

“Young master,” Isono said calmly, holding the door open for the teen. “I got your text and came as fast as I could.”

“Th-Thanks!” Noah grinned, dashing inside and throwing himself down onto the plush leather seat, kicking his legs happily while Mokuba began listing rules in his head.

 _Don’t smile at the old man, you’ll weird him out._  
Don’t kick and leave marks on the seat, Seto hates that.  
Don’t—

 _I got it Mokie, you can shut up_ , Noah thought, keeping his jaw clenched while the car eased forward gently, and they set off down the main road. _Did you forget that I lived this life before you?_

Mokuba fell silent for a moment. Right.

“Are you hungry?” the manservant asked, and Noah nodded enthusiastically, doing his best to mimic Mokuba’s enthusiasm.

“Yes!”

 _I don’t sound like that,_ Mokuba grumbled, _I always say ‘yeah’ or ‘sure’!_

“I mean, yeah, sure,” Noah added uncertainly, and Mokuba palmed his face painfully when they received a concerned glance from Isono in the rear view mirror.

 _Not both, you freaking dummy!_ Mokuba gave Noah a shove and barged back into his own mind with force.

Sitting up straighter, Mokuba took several slow breaths, understanding that he was stronger than Noah when fighting for control.   
Maybe…he _should_ text Yugi.

 _Why? Why are you gonna text him?_ Noah asked intrusively, watching Mokuba slide his phone out, and his heart sank violently to his feet with fear and disappointment.  
  
_You want to get rid of me already_? He cried, reading the text over Mokuba’s shoulder. _You hate it? Mokie? Mokie…do you hate me? What did I do? I’m sorry!_

“I don’t hate you…shut up,” Mokuba grumbled, finishing his text and hitting ‘send’.

Isono perked his head up and stopped at a red light, peering into the backseat to check on the child. Mokuba was talking to himself a lot today.

* * *

Yugi’s phone buzzed on the kitchen counter and he paused mid-bite to pick it up, frowning at the text.

_“Hey dork, so like, when you and yami shared a body/brain, and he wanted to do something, but u didn’t want to do it, how did that work out?”_

Also, there was an earlier text he had missed from the older Kaiba, and it was…lengthy.  
  
“Yugi, this Seto Kaiba, not an unknown number, and this is not an emergency so don’t bother replying, but I want to know how you lived with another conscience in your mind for the past few years?   
And if you say he’s gone…is he really gone?   
How is he “gone” because that makes no fucking sense.   
Are you making that shit up?  
Also, can I just say that he was a violent motherfucker.”

 _Wow, they both have issues_ , Yugi thought blithely, deciding to ignore Kaiba and only reply to Mokuba.

* * *

Stepping out of the car, Noah gaped at the Kaiba mansion, taking in every new detail with a soaring heart. Somehow…the house had gotten even more beautiful since he had been away.

The grass around them seemed to stretch on for miles. A sparkling fountain had been added to front driveway and beautiful flowering hedges lined the walls.

 “Wow…home!” Noah cried, rushing up the marble steps and almost tripping in his haste.

“Be careful, young master Kaiba,” Isono called, frowning at the odd behavior. He slid his phone out and made sure to mention this the older Kaiba.

Mokuba shook his head, exasperated and amused.

Noah dashed through the main hallway, gaping at the bare walls, “All my pictures are gone!”

Yeah, its not your house anymore, Mokuba replied calmly, seeing Isono heading up the steps behind them, giving them another strange look.

“What pictures, young master?” Isono asked keenly, wondering if he ought to feel more concerned. Was Mokuba acting like this on purpose?

“N-Nothing!” Noah stammered, smiling half-heartedly and moving slowly towards the stairs. “Gonna go to my room now.”

“What do you need from upstairs?” Isono asked, his frown deepening and Noah could barely hear him over Mokuba’s frantic shouting.

_My room is not upstairs! It’s on this floor, across the hall!_

“I-I…” Noah’s smile faltered, and Mokuba barged back into his own body angrily, trying to save what little face they had left.

“I don’t need anything, Isono,” Mokuba gave the manservant a haughty look and hurried down the hall. “Not hungry anymore. Just tired! Don’t bother me for the rest of the day, okay?”

Isono nodded weakly, gripping his phone tightly with a trembling hand. D-Did the young master just have a seizure? What did he just witness? There had been an odd stutter mid-sentence, followed by rapid blinking and a long pause before Mokuba composed himself again, acting perfectly normal.

Moving to sit down on one of the lounges in the living room, Isono hurriedly finished composing his text to the older Kaiba, hearing another ecstatic laugh echoing from Mokuba’s room.

Strange…strange behavior!  
\-------------------------------

Kaiba was getting into his car when his phone buzzed twice in his pocket.

Sighing, he leaned back into the seat and yanked it out of his pocket, displeased to see a text from his manservant.

 _“Master Kaiba._  
 Your brother has been behaving strangely since his return from the lab.   
He may have had a mild seizure, but stayed standing, and managed to compose himself afterwards. Should I call for a doctor? He is acting normally now…”

 _A seizure?_ Kaiba reeled, his panic rising to the surface again and his head spun terribly.

So hooking Mokuba into the pod _was_ a bad idea!

Breathless and lightheaded, Kaiba closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the top of the steering wheel, willing himself to remain composed.   
It was fine. Mokuba was going to be fine.   
He needed to get home ASAP and have a talk with his little brother.

* * *

Back inside his room, Mokuba was letting Noah rummage through his drawers, picking out all of his games and reading the titles and summaries with bright eyes.

Noah then rushed this closet and flung the doors open, his face falling dramatically when he eyed the brightly colored vests and striped shirts.

“You even dress like a dork,” Noah commented loftily, “I don’t wear anything unless it has buttons down the middle and needs to be dry cleaned.”

 _I don’t know how you don’t get along with Seto, because you sound just like him,_ Mokuba shot back playfully. _What’s next? Wanna dye your hair? Wait no…that’s my hair. You can’t!_

Noah let out a haughty laugh and paced the room again, keeping his hands tucked behind his back and enjoying the way his slippers felt against the hardwood floor. Real life was great!

He would do anything to stay in Mokuba’s life…even if it meant get along with Seto.

He swore to be on his best behavior forever, so that nothing would ever jeopardize his stay

“You guys tore up that ugly carpet,” Noah commented, “I like this better. And that’s an improvement.” He pointed upwards at the glowing crystal chandelier hanging high above their heads on the slanted ceiling.

“Makes everything look…I duuno, happier?”

 _Yeah, it was ugly_ , Mokuba replied carelessly. _Now, listen up. Here are the passwords to everything. If you don’t do it right the first time, Seto will know what’s up._

On the other side of the door, Seto held his breath and knocked twice.

He had thought he heard talking. Was Mokuba talking to himself? Or was it….

The door swung open and his brother gazed up at him questioningly, “Hi. I thought I said don’t bother me.”

“Are you…okay?” Kaiba asked slowly, glancing over Mokuba’s head and seeing his games scattered all over the floor. “Why are you making a mess?”

“I’m alphabetizing,” Mokuba lied defiantly, and he ignored Noah’s snicker. “What do you want?”

“Did you have a seizure?” Kaiba asked, getting straight to the point and kneeling down to Mokuba’s height, gazing up into his round face with concern. “Please don’t lie to me. If something is wrong, you need to tell me.”

Mokuba’s mouth grew unusually dry and he swallowed thinly.

 _Tell him now? Or never tell him?_ Noah whispered, rooted to the spot with fear as he wondered how Seto would destroy him if he found out the transfer had worked.

“I was just hungry,” Mokuba said plainly. “Let me get some food.”

“No, not until you tell me the truth,” Kaiba growled, wrapping his hands around his brother’s shoulders and squeezing warmly, his chest tight with concern. “Did you or did you not have a seizure? Do I need to call the doctor?”

 _Wow, starvation or the truth, very harsh Seto_ , Noah said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Nope. Just…hungry,” Mokuba said slowly, eyeing his brother apprehensively. “Can I eat in my room?”

“No,” Kaiba replied sternly, pulling his brother through the hallway and into the dining area. “What’s your favorite color?”

“I don’t have one,” Mokuba said, frowning. “Why?”

 _He knows!_ Noah cried, terror-stricken. _He knows, he knows he knows!_

 _Shut...up!_ Mokuba growled internally, blinking rapidly while attempting to keep a straight face. Seto was staring daggers into him from across the dining table.

Isono approached the dining table with a plate loaded with rice and fish, setting it down before Mokuba and standing off to the side, watching this exchange nervously.

“Eat,” Kaiba said coldly, lacing his fingers together and propping his elbows up on the table, observing his little brother intently. “Salmon…your _favorite._ ”

Noah caught a whiff of the fishy smell and gagged, his eyes watering terribly.   
G-Gross.   
Wow, this was a smell he did _not_ miss.   
It was even more pungent now than ever!  
Seto definitely knew he was inside Mokuba now!

“I don’t… _love_ salmon,” Mokuba grumbled, fully aware of Noah’s distress. “I didn’t ask for salmon. I said I wanted—”

“You didn’t say what you wanted,” Kaiba interrupted nastily, his demeanor changing so suddenly, it was terrifying to behold. “Eat it, Mokuba. Or are you not _hungry_ anymore?”

Mokuba blinked steadily at Seto, feeling his eyes heating up dangerously with unshed tears. Was Seto angry?

“Okay, I’ll eat it,” Mokuba whispered, lowering his head and picking up the fork, hearing Noah frantically beg him not to.

 _No…please don’t. I’ll throw up. I really will! I’m sorry Mokie, I can’t eat it!_  
Please don’t eat it! I’ll get so sick.   
Even the smell right now is making me sick!

“See, from what…I…remember,” Kaiba drawled, nodding at Isono who approached with a steaming plate of a steak and mashed potatoes. “You hate fish. Hate the smell, hate the taste, hate everything about it. Well? How does it smell now? Its…fresh. Get out of my brother right the fuck now or I’ll shove it down your throat.”

“S-Seto…it’s me,” Mokuba cried, shaking with hurt and confusion. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Other way around,” the older Kaiba sneered, aiming his steak knife threateningly at his younger brother, his hand shaking with repressed rage and fear. “What’s gotten into you?”

 _I want steak and potatoes too!_ Noah cried longingly, feeling his, no, Mokuba’s stomach churn with hunger. _We haven’t eaten anything since we got back! Please, Mokie, let me talk to him. He seems to think you’re me right now anyway._

“No, you don’t get to talk to him, because clearly, he’s just going to torture you…like this,” Mokuba growled, throwing away all pretenses and pushing the plate aside with disgust. “Seto, who do you think I am right now?”

“I don’t know…who are you right now?” the older Kaiba replied, his tone eerily light and casual. “Who are we anyway? Where do we get our sense of self? Maybe everything is a simulation and we don’t exist entirely on one plane.”

“What the eff?” Mokuba cried, staring at his brother and wondering if he had completely lost it. “What is wrong with you Seto?!”

 _Don’t even bother anymore_ , Noah said fearfully. Let me talk to him, Mokie, please please please

Kaiba watched with rising dread as Mokuba lowered his head slowly. His tiny shoulders trembled slightly before he raised his head again, this time, his round eyes were wide with fear.

“Seto…please don’t punish Mokuba because of me. I really thought—”

“You…demon!” Kaiba hissed, lunging across the table with the knife, and Noah scrambled out of his seat frantically, hearing a loud clash and clatter behind him.

He turned around fearfully to see the old manservant with his arms wrapped around the Seto Kaiba’s waist, restraining him with surprising force.

“That…is your brother…Master Kaiba…come to your senses!”

“That is _Noah,_ you old man, fuck off!” Kaiba elbowed his manservant heavily in the chest and the old man resisted, clinging to him heavily, his weight sagging him down to the floor.

A wrinkled hand reached out to pry the knife handle from his fingers and tossed it aside.

Shaking from head to toe, Noah stood on the far side of the room, realizing Seto was willing to cut Mokuba…just to hurt him!

“And you think you’re related?” Noah gasped, hugging himself tightly and feeling Mokuba give him a mental kick, shouting back frantically, _Not helping!_

Kaiba rose unsteadily to his feet, his breathing ragged, his vision fading into green, and his heart pounding painfully in his chest with every agonizing beat.

So…the experiment had worked. Noah was now living _inside_ of his beloved Mokuba.

“I…love you,” Noah whispered, backing away towards the couch and TV, desperate to get further away from Seto Kaiba. Maybe he could run out into the patio, jump the wall, and never come back.

“Shut your fucking mouth,” Kaiba hissed, gripping his hair tightly and on the brink of delirium. He could hear Isono hastily confiscating all the cutlery from the table and backing away into the kitchen to compose himself.

“It’s true!” Noah insisted, jumping to his feet and wringing his hands. Taking a deep breath, he bowed forwards deeply with tears welling up in his eyes, blurring his vision.

“I’ve always admired you, Seto. I was so jealous when Gozaboro brought you and Mokuba home! I thought…I thought—” Noah hiccupped pitifully and wiped his tears up with his sleeve, hearing Mokuba encouraging him softly from the side.

_He’s listening._

“I thought I would finally have some friends!” Noah finished in a rush, daring to glance up.

Kaiba remained silent, looking as stony-faced as ever.

“But you guys turned out to be closer to each other, and he never introduced me to you. I was always alone…” Noah composed himself and felt a rush of anger. “And it was your fault, Seto! Your fault I was alone! Your fault that Gozaburo threw me aside and focused more of his attention on you!”

 _Nope, now we are going backwards,_ Mokuba said, rolling his eyes impatiently. _Apologize properly or he’ll throw the knife at you…us. And it will hurt. Pain hurts here, Noah. I know it didn’t in the virtual world—_

“I’m trying, Mokuba, stop!” Noah cried, covering his ears and sinking down to the floor in distress. “Fine, kill me then! I never deserved a chance at life anyway! I’m cursed! No one loves me, and no one ever _did_ love me! You always had Seto…and I have…no one!”

Kaiba stared at his brother curled in the corner of the sitting area, growing dangerously weak at the knees.

Confirmed.   
Noah was wearing Mokuba’s skin.   
All those words sounded so familiar…it hurt.

But if he looked past that, he saw…himself. A younger version of himself, cowering in fear because it was so hard to find warmth and a place to stay in Gozaburo’s world of strict rules and blatant neglect.

“Don’t use the ‘L’ word like you know what it means,” Kaiba said slowly, making sure that they were on the same page. “Do you know what it means?”

“I’m not fucking stupid,” Noah shot back, hugging his knees to his chest and glaring at the older Kaiba fiercely. “It means you’ll do anything for each other. And it means being happy. I’m willing to do that.”

There was a long silence.

Isono held his breath and surveyed the odd scene before him, wondering if his ears were deceiving him. Young Master…Noah had been transferred into Mokuba’s body and was living through him? Perhaps similar to Yami and Yugi’s situation?

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at Mokuba, feeling as if he was being ripped in two from the inside out.  
Maybe he only saw Noah as a threat because of how similar they were. Gozaburo was gone now, and they could live by their own rules.

“In this house, you don’t use the ‘F’ word either,” Kaiba said fervently, a smile curling at the corners of his lips. “I better not catch you pulling any of your virtual world bullshit here, in the real world, in Mokuba’s body.”

“I won’t!” Noah shook his head fervently and straightened up out of the bow. “I will become a brother you can be proud of.”

Kaiba rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest. “Yeah, sure. We’ll see about that.”

* * *

Author's note:

requested by nonbinary

 


	4. COLLARED & OWNED [flareshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long day at work, kaiba comes home to his two favorite lovers (in bed) flareshipping

Kaiba gently pushed the door to his room open, feeling his bones ache with exhaustion. He had had one hell of a day, and was ready for a hot shower, and a warm bed.

He stumbled inside and tossed his briefcase carelessly aside, loosening his tie and throwing himself into the bathroom.

Atem shook Yugi awake and pressed a finger to his lips as his aibou gazed sleepily up at him through half-lidded eyes.

“What?” Yugi mumbled, and Atem gently pulled him out of bed, leading him out of the room by the hand.

“He’s back, I just heard him,” Atem whispered, sneaking down the hallway and peeking into Kaiba’s room, surprised to see that it was empty. “I swear I did.”

“He’s…in the shower,” Yugi suppressed a yawn and pointed through the tiny crack in the door at Kaiba’s briefcase laying haphazardly on the floor.

“Good,” Atem grinned playfully at Yugi and ran over to the bed, patting the spot beside him. “We’ll pretend to be asleep.”

Instantly wide-awake, Yugi quickly joined Atem underneath the covers and wiggled his toes happily in the warmth. “Then…we attack.”

“Best idea ever,” Atem declared, laying down quickly and Yugi hastily followed suit as they heard the water shut off in the bathroom.

Kaiba stepped out and almost dropped his towel in surprise when he saw two spiky-haired lumps rolled up underneath his bed covers, and he smiled tightly. Cute. He could always count on these two to cheer him up after the hellish day he’d just had.

He left his hair damp and tossed his towel aside, climbing eagerly into bed, carefully slipping himself in the middle, pleased to discover that the twins had left him room between them. Usually, Atem or Yugi was in the middle, but tonight, they weren’t cuddling together as tightly for some reason.

The moment he stuck his legs underneath the covers, warm legs wrapped around his thighs and a slender arm was thrust across his chest, pinning him down firmly into the mattress, and two pairs of violet eyes gleamed mischievously at him in the semi-darkness.

“I’m…not in the mood,” Kaiba said hoarsely, but he wasn’t heard. Atem’s hands were already pressing down against his thighs and Yugi’s mouth was hot against his ear.

A silky tongue flicked out to lick his cheek playfully, and Kaiba jerked his head away, his heart swooping in this chest when another pair of hot lips pressed against the other side of his face. He was…trapped. They had planned this!

Wondering if he should struggle, there was a soft rustle as the sheets lifted up around his midsection, and he felt a hot breath graze along his stomach.

“Kiss me,” Yugi insisted, inching up and pressing his lips insistently against Kaiba’s and forcing his tongue in through his teeth.

Shivering, Kaiba decided it was useless to struggle, and felt Atem’s warm hands wrap around his shaft and give him a solid stroke upwards, followed by dense, tight feeling as Atem took him in his mouth without warning.

Kaiba gasped into Yugi’s kiss and grew instantly weak as Atem lifted his legs and propped them up on his shoulder, his tongue boldly roaming lower past his balls until they stopped just above his hole. Something thick and hot penetrated him with smooth slickness, sending searing jolts of fire up his body and Yugi’s hands held him steady, clamping down tightly on either side of his face, keeping his mouth busy with passionate kisses.

Atem grinned playfully and pressed the head of his erection against Kaiba’s slick hole, bucking his hips forward teasingly and hitting the base of Kaiba’s balls, enjoying the way the CEO’s fingers whitened against the sheets in an effort to contain himself.

He slid slowly into Kaiba’s heat, sighing happily before beginning to thrust vigorously, at his own pace, without regard to how Kaiba would react.   
He knew Kaiba could take it.   
Yugi was attending to him up there, so he could fully enjoy himself down here.

Kaiba clawed frantically at Yugi’s shoulders, his body growing hot and cold at the same time, shivering and shuddering with alternating shocks of pleasure as Yugi thrust his tongue into his mouth to stifle his cries while Atem rocked his entire body with the force of his movements.

His back was sticking terribly to the sheets with sweat as Kaiba desperately tried to compose himself but found that he couldn’t even form a coherent string of thought as wave after violent wave of heat and ecstasy consumed him fully, causing his mind to go completely blank. He was going to cum forever if this kept up!

Yugi felt Kaiba bite down on his lip roughly, and he grinned, pulling Kaiba into a deeper kiss and enjoying the way the CEO’s struggling faded with sensual breath they shared, and his hands roamed down Kaiba’s muscular chest to roughly pinch both of his nipples, eliciting another pleasurable spasm from Kaiba, seeing a spurt of semen stain the sheets wrapped around Kaiba’s torso.

Pleased with the reaction, Yugi pulled away from the kiss and continued to torture Kaiba’s nipples, letting out an excited laugh after meeting Atem’s heated gaze.

Kaiba’s head spun and his ears rang with a tinny sound as Atem continued to enter him roughly, filling him up to the brim with something hot and wonderful, a feeling that made his heart soar and his breath leave his body after every ragged gasp. Trembling and shaking uncontrollably with residual threads of pleasure, Kaiba found that his vision was fading.

Yugi’s round face was blurry as he hovered above him, “Is he okay?”

Atem glanced down at Kaiba’s semen-stained torso and at the wetness slowly spreading between his legs and seeping in underneath Kaiba’s ass.

He threw Yugi a triumphant grin as he lowered Kaiba’s legs gently back down onto the mattress.

“He’s more than okay.”

Yugi gave Kaiba’s bangs a fond ruffle, enjoying the handsome slope of his brow before he snuggled down beside the unconscious CEO and tucked his head on his shoulder, smiling happily to himself.

Atem climbed up onto Kaiba’s other side and laid his head down on his muscular chest, listening to the rhythmic pounding of his heart, feeling incredibly warm all over.

“Should we…clean him up?” Yugi whispered uncertainly after a long bout of silence, and Atem laughed deeply.

“No, let him wake up like this.”

* * *

**Author's note:**

requested by Ame


	5. A DIGITAL AFFAIR [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba has grown weary of online dating, but one particular profile catches his eye (Yami’s profile)

Kaiba sighed and propped his head up on his arm, aimlessly scrolling through his messages.

 **Roxyfoxy:** hi  
  
**Minnie_hearts:** hey.

 **Sunstarmoonsky:** hey.  
  
**dangers11dancers:** hi

Growling to himself, Kaiba deleted all the one-word greetings.

Why did people think that “hey” was a good way to start a conversation? It was a sure-fire way to lead nowhere.

He clicked away from his inbox and scanned his profile again, scrutinizing every detail, wondering what he was doing wrong.

Well, for starters, he hadn’t used his own name, photo, or location.

Meeting someone as Seto Kaiba was hard enough already.

He clicked to view his matches, and scrolled through a bunch of bright smiling faces, hating every single one of them. To broaden his chances, he had set his preference to men and women, but neither a man nor a woman had caught his attention and held it so far.

A message flashed across his screen:

**You have reached the end of your matches. Pay 4.99 to refresh.**

Hissing in annoyance, he paid the fee without blinking and continued to scroll, wondering what he was doing with his life.

Did he need someone as a partner? No.

But…he wanted one. He felt like he was missing out on something, but he didn’t know what.

His matches stopped refreshing again, and the last profile showing on the screen was merely a black square.

The user had not uploaded a photo, and their name was ‘Bl4ckSq4re’.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba clicked on the profile out of sheer boredom, and his eyes widened with interest as he read the user’s description.

 **About me:** done with life, aren’t you?

 **Interests:** wont write them here. Message me!

 **Favorite foods:** the kind you want to buy me.

 **Favorite music, TV shows, books, hobbies, etc:** I like duel monsters, and that’s all I’ll say.

Frowning, Kaiba clicked on their user information, trying to find out more, but everything else had been left blank. Even the location had been disabled.

Throwing caution to the wind, he sent the user a message, using a pre-written introduction he had made, and sat back in his chair, wondering if he would get a reply within the hour.

He gazed at the user’s statistics. They were last online 3 days ago, so…probably unlikely.

* * *

Yami glanced away from his video and eyed the message hovering at the top of his window.

_“user: GreenLeek has sent you a message!”_

_Wonderful,_ Yami thought sourly, continuing to watch his video without giving the message a second thought.

He gazed at the actor’s face on the screen, his vision blurring slightly as something nagged at him in the back of his mind. His profile was blank, and he had only gotten several messages from porn bots and desperate men. Would it be too much to hope that…the user GreenLeek was a girl?

Sighing to himself, Yami paused the video and logged into the dating website, his stomach churning strangely.  
  
What the hell was he doing?

And why did this matter so much to him?  
  
He felt like he was missing out on something, because everyone around him had a girlfriend, and Yugi was thinking about moving out.  
  
The thought mildly terrified him, so he was doing his best to distract himself. Maybe someday, he could find someone who loved him enough to want to live with him.

 _Unlikely,_ Yami growled to himself, clicking on the user’s profile and scanning the photos.

It was a man.  
But…a very attractive man.  
He had slick black hair, thin almond eyes, long lashes, and very feminine lips.

Grinding his teeth, Yami clicked the message, intent on telling the man to fuck off, but he found himself reading the message thoroughly.

 _“Hi! Call me green, what’s your name?_  
I like duel monsters too!  
What’s your favorite card/deck? Actually, no, that’s boring.  
We’ll talk abut that later…in person if it ever gets to that point.  
I’m going to preface everything by saying that I intend to meet you in person, and if you’re not willing to meet, please don’t respond.  
  
What superpower pick if you could have one?”

Yami frowned and skimmed the message again, feeling the hair on his arms standing on end.

There was a typo in the message, but everything else about it was so carefully constructed. Was the typo intentional?

Hovering his fingers above the keys, Yami quickly tapped out a response and sent it.

He watched his message bubble up on the screen and he checked the time.  
Maybe this person was still online.  
Their profile said they were on just five minutes ago.

Kaiba _was_ online, and he stared hungrily at the screen, pleased with the response he’d received.

_“Hey Green._

_I’m assuming you like…leeks? LOL idk how you found me but im straight, so maybe we can be friends? Unless you can introduce me to some cute girls (thumbs up)_

_And hey, duel monsters_ is _awesome and i wouldn’t mind talking about it._

_I built a cool deck recently, but I can’t tell you about it because im up for a tournament this summer._

_Superpower I’d have? I want the ability to read minds. It’d make this dating sich much easier, no?”_

_Sure, friends,_ Kaiba thought spitefully, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he wrote a response. He had been at this for a long time, and he wasn’t about to be picky about gender.

Any person who could accept him as he was, with his distasteful personality and all, was more than he could ask for.

Yami tabbed back to continue watching his video, but to his extreme annoyance, the user GreenLeek sent him a message in response.

Rolling his eyes, Yami clicked on it and read quickly. He was in a hurry to get back to his video.

 _“Please tell me your name, because I’m not about call you by your username. It’s ridiculous. You clearly made it to troll._  
What’s your Duel ID, hotshot? Is your deck even tournament ready?  
  
Also, if you’re having so much difficulty with your “dating sich”, have you considered you can’t afford to be so picky? You know, you’ll run through the same people again and again if you’ve been at it for as long as I have.

 _Fish in the sea and all that, but…it’s the same sea. The sea doesn’t change, my…_ friend.

_Give me your number. Or meet me for a coffee, or a duel. Your pick!”_

Yami felt his blood boil almost instantly, his cheeks burned red hot. This person…was mouthy!

And, if anything, this person’s words reminded him of one other person on the planet who spoke like this: Seto Kaiba.

He wrote back with furious energy, intent on showing his discontent.

_“Listen here, green._

_I’m NOT interested.  I just got out of a bad relationship and im looking for a rebound. You don’t want to be that rebound. GTFO”_

“Wrong,” came the gleeful reply, almost instantaneously. “Rebound sex is the best sex. You can work things out with a rebound. At least you know what went wrong in your other relationship.”

Hissing in annoyance, Yami continued to type, seeing the other user’s messages pop up just as fast.

 **GreenLeek:** here’s my phone number. I think you’ll need it.  
**GreenLeek:** 000-000-000-000

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** no.

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** and the thing that went wrong was that SHE CHEATED

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** because im clearly lacking something.

Kaiba leaned back into his seat and stared at the words on his screen, his vision blurring. So…this user was hurting. Maybe it was time to move on. But before he could write his good-bye message, a few more startling texts popped up.

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** you sound like

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** Seto Kaiba.

Shocked at having been found out so quickly, he responded with a haughty, “I am Seto Kaiba!” and waited for the other user to respond with disbelief.

To his rising surprise, the answer was simply “I knew it.”

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** now guess who I am?

Yami smirked at his computer, his fingers tingling with excitement. This was good! Seto Kaiba…on a dating website using a fake profile?!

Kaiba’s response was swift and vicious.

 **GreenLeek:** ur someone from the dweeb squad. Don’t care. Logging off.

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** wait wait!

Yami frowned, his disappointment rising quickly. Why didn’t Kaiba care?!

 **GreenLeek:** ok who? Wait no. I figured it out.

Yami held his breath, realizing it was Kaiba’s classic haughtiness showing through in his messages.

 **GreenLeek:**   you are….the Other Yugi.

 _Damn_ , Yami thought darkly, about to write ‘congratulations’ when another message popped up, followed by another, and another. Kaiba was…gloating now!

 **GreenLeek** : Because, let’s see.  
**GreenLeek** : Yugi is with Anzu.  
**GreenLeek** : The blonde dog is with the harpy lady  
**GreenLeek:** the two dolts Honda and diceboy are fucking fan girls,  
**GreenLeek** : and

 **GreenLeek:** you

 **GreenLeek:** are  
**GreenLeek:** alone

 _You are alone too!_ Yami raged, his anger returning tenfold. He had forgotten how fired up Kaiba could make him feel, and the fact that this was happening over a screen made the experience even more humiliating.

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** Seriously, Kaiba?! LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE

 **GreenLeek:** I know. I’m trying to fix that, clearly.  
  
**Bl4ckSq4re:** Pah!

 **GreenLeek:** hey, why’d your girlfriend cheat on you?

Kaiba tapped his nail against the edge of his laptop, gazing at the time, shocked to discover that they had been chatting for the last half hour. Time had really flown by quickly.

Yami had stopped responding and Kaiba frowned, wondering if he was being too forward. He realized he didn’t know much about Yami, other than the fact that he liked dueling and was an ancient spirit that gained a solid form after a duel with Yugi.

He had never paused to consider that he might’ve been attracted to Yami, but now the more he sat here and thought about it, the more he realized…he probably was. Yugi barely graced the edge of his thoughts.

It was always Yami.

Yami was the true king of games. Yami was the true king.

And there must be a scientific explanation to what had happened during the ceremonial duel. He had just been too tired to figure it out.

On the other side of the screen, Yami glared at Kaiba’s question, his heart thundering furiously in his chest.  
Why should he disclose such personal information to Kaiba?  
What had Kaiba done to deserve his trust?  
Could he even consider Kaiba a friend?  
Also, why did Kaiba care about this? Or was Kaiba just asking for the sake of asking…so he could gloat about it in his face later?

Deciding not to answer, Yami typed his reply out defensively:

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** no. I won’t tell you because you’ll just laugh in my face.

 **GreenLeek:** I wont!

 _I really won’t_ , Kaiba thought earnestly, wondering what else he could say to get Yami to trust him. He was genuinely interested.  
Yami’s love life. Now that was something new and interesting.

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** Yea fucking right. Fuck off kaiba.

 **GreenLeek:** tell me, or I show up at your door.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the clock at the lower corner of his laptop. It was late, but he didn’t care. He was a man of his word, and if he said he was going to show up on Yami’s doorstep, he fucking would, just to make a point.

 _He’s threatening me already_! Yami thought deliriously, and he threw caution to the wind, typing haphazardly and not bothering to check his spelling.

 **Bl4ckSq4re:** she just said she wasn’t ready for commitment, then br9oke up with me telling me that she went out with someone else. The worst part is we didn’t even get that far as a couple, and quite honestly, I thnk she was dating me because she loves YUGI and I look like him, so that was exptremely insulting.

 _There, that ought to do it,_ Yami thought dryly, his chest tight with a terrible feeling, and he tabbed away from the website, going back to watch his video.

Kaiba frowned at the badly written message, understanding that Yami was feeling seriously hurt.

He waited a solid minute before responding with as much sympathy he could muster:

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

The response was a curt and sarcastic, “Sure you are,” before the green dot went grey as Yami logged off.

Kaiba rose slowly to his feet, staring at the glowing screen of his laptop, thinking he would pay Yami a visit…right now. It didn’t matter that it was almost one in the morning.

He grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and headed to the door, brimming with determination. This should be good. He finally had something other than duel monsters to discuss with Yami.

* * *

Yami lay wide awake in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, willing for sleep to come.

He had tried texting Yugi, but received no response, so he assumed Yugi was once again staying over at Anzu’s, therefore leaving him alone in the house…again.

It was different this time. Being alone in the house felt emptier than when he was alone, trapped, in the millennium puzzle.

At least Yugi was available at every moment, at a second’s thought. But now? Yugi was no longer answering his messages…and he was…truly alone.

He rolled over onto his side and bit back his tears.  
Maybe he was looking at this all wrong.  
Maybe…he should’ve given Kaiba a chance.

Just as that thought left his mind, the doorbell sounded loudly overhead, and Yami bolted upright excitedly, his heart thundering in his chest.

Yugi!

Throwing the covers off of himself, Yami dashed down the stairs and through the connecting door, almost tripping over his shoes on the mat before he managed to pull the door open, and before him stood Seto Kaiba.

His breath caught painfully in his chest, and he moved to close the door, but Kaiba stopped him by thrusting a hand out and forcing his way into the game shop with a low growl.

“Hey! Is that how you welcome guests into your home?” Kaiba sneered, managing to get his foot in through the door before Yami pushed it back against him and his toe chafed painfully against the edge.

“You are…impossible,” Yami replied through gritted teeth, attempting to give the door another shove before he relented and stumbled back to reluctantly let Kaiba inside.

Kaiba composed himself readily and haughtily adjusted the lapels of his coat, “Tell me about it.”

They stood silently in the dark game shop, glaring at each other for a moment before Yami broke the silence. “Fine, come in.”

He stormed off back into the house, wondering why he felt so worked up. A part of him was actually glad Kaiba had come by to keep him company, but another part of him was on-guard and weary.

Why had Kaiba come by? Kaiba was always working with a motive.

Kaiba followed Yami into the home, ducking his head down to avoid the low hanging door frame as he slid off his dress shoes. His mind was oddly clear as he surveyed his simple surroundings, taking in the faded couch in front of the TV and the tiny dining table in the corner by the kitchen.

Wow, this was how poor people lived.

Yami was standing defensively in the far corner with his arms crossed, gazing apprehensively at Kaiba who looked very out of place in their tiny home.

“Sit,” Yami said coldly, wondering if he should offer Kaiba something to drink. He didn’t care for his manners as a host, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Kaiba was silently judging everything he was seeing. Of course he was.

“Yeah, no thanks,” Kaiba winced, wondering where he could sit without feeling cramped. He couldn’t help but wonder if Yami was fine with living like this…when he had supposedly been a king in his past life?  
Was this a type of personal punishment?  
Or was he doing it for Yugi?

What did his room look like?

Now Kaiba couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it, and his gaze drifted up the stairs. He had to see. He…had to see.

“Why are you here?” Yami asked plainly, leaning against the edge of the dining table and feeling himself tense up. He was always this tense whenever Kaiba was near, and it made his entire body ache when the ordeal was over. Kaiba was so aggravating!

“I came to talk,” Kaiba answered calmly, deciding he wouldn’t wait for permission or an invitation, because both were unlikely. “Tell me about your…ex-girlfriend.”

Yami curled his fists in tightly at his sides, hating Kaiba’s handsome face. His rival’s eyes kept drifting upwards to the stairs. Why?

“I don’t have to tell you anything,” Yami said firmly.

“Fine,” Kaiba nodded, and waited one heartbeat before he bolted towards the stairs, aiming to get up there before Yami could catch him.

Stunned, Yami stood still for a solid minute, screaming at his legs to move before he finally managed to rush up the stairs after Kaiba, his mind churning with a thousand questions.

Kaiba reached the top quicker than he had anticipated and moved towards the first open door, hoping it was the right one.

It was a bathroom.

Ducking out quickly, he moved down the hallway and barged in through the second door, breathing a tight sigh of relief when he gazed at a twin bunk bed set against the far wall. There was one tiny desk, a closet, and a mini sunroof.

“Get…out of my room,” Yami demanded breathlessly, standing furiously in the doorway, shaking with humiliation. “What the hell, Kaiba?!”

“Holy shit,” Kaiba whispered, spinning around to gaze at the former pharaoh with wide eyes. “You live like this?”

“Surprise,” Yami replied dryly, folding his arms once more and standing his ground, refusing to let himself be intimidated. “Get out.”

Kaiba gazed at the twin bunk bed, and at the unmade second bed on the bottom.

“You’re a bottom?” Kaiba said gleefully, unable to help himself, and to his utmost horror, Yami gazed at him blankly and replied with, “What?”

“You’re a bottom,” Kaiba repeated, his head spinning with a rush of excitement at the thought of educating Yami on what the word meant…in another sense. “You sleep on the bot—”

“Yes, and so what?” Yami glared and pointed at the staircase. “Out.”

“The bottom gets the best experience,” Kaiba continued mischievously, but Yami had heard enough.

The pharaoh threw himself at the CEO, and attempted to drag him out of the room, feeling his feet sliding painfully across the hardwood floor as Kaiba resisted him strongly and tried to drag him towards the bed instead.

“Come …on,” Kaiba goaded, pleased to discover that he was indeed stronger.

Yami tried to twist away, his terror rising with each passing second the moment he realized what Kaiba wanted to do. They were getting closer to the bed, and Kaiba gave Yami one last forceful yank, causing Yami to stumble forward and hit his forehead onto the edge of the bunk bed with a resounding _thunk!_

“Fuck!” Yami yelled, his eyes watering in pain as he gripped his forehead, already feeling a throbbing lump forming.

Kaiba hastily rolled on top of Yami and pinned him down underneath him, feeling a rush of satisfaction and guilt.

“Does it hurt?” Kaiba asked, genuinely concerned, and he reached down to touch Yami’s forehead, but the pharaoh fought him back with surprising force, grabbing his hands by his wrists and pushing him away resolutely.

“Get off me! Don’t touch me!” Yami hissed, feeling Kaiba’s heat burning his thighs strangely the longer Kaiba sat on him.  

“I’ll kiss it better,” Kaiba grinned triumphantly and pressed his lips down blindly, his stomach swooping with a strange feeling as Yami continued to squirm underneath him. It was in that moment that he realized…this was exactly what he wanted.

He didn’t want a random year-long relationship with a stranger. He wanted this! He wanted Yami crying out pitifully underneath him.

Yami opened his mouth to let out another yell but found that his voice had died the moment Kaiba dragged his tongue down his neck and landed a solid bite on his collarbone.

Shivering with effort, Yami strained upwards against Kaiba’s weight and felt himself growing weaker and weaker as the warm scent of coffee and something delicious washed over him like a calming wave.

W-Was this Kaiba’s scent?

“Never had it done by a guy, have you?” Kaiba taunted, thinking he was pretty inexperienced himself, but he could bluff his way through this…probably.

“Get your…filthy hands…” Yami breathed, his body growing hot and cold all over as Kaiba dragged his hands down the sides of his body and landed suggestively on his hips.

Kaiba sat up and hunched forward slightly because the back of his head was pressed tightly against the top bunk. He gazed down at Yami’s disheveled appearance, growing instantly aroused at the sight of Yami’s rage-boner straining against the cloth of his sleep pants.

“Nevermind,” Kaiba said teasingly, hooking his long fingers in through Yami’s waistband and giving it a playful tug. “You look like you would taste bad.”

Yami blinked and felt his blood boil. “What?”

“I said—”

“You wouldn’t know until you’ve had a taste,” Yami interrupted indignantly, his cheeks red with a mixture of fury and arousal at the thought of Kaiba servicing him with his mouth.  
Was that what Kaiba was offering?  
The high and mighty Seto Kaiba was offering…that?!

“Then…” Kaiba grinned widely, his teeth gleaming evilly in the semi-darkness. “Thanks for the meal.”

Shocked beyond words, Yami gazed down at Kaiba’s hands, quickly sliding his pants down to his thighs and giving his boner a firm grope through his underwear before pressing his face directly down onto his crotch and taking a deep inhale.

“You’re disgusting!” Yami cried, his stomach curling and twisting wildly with new, unfamiliar feelings. Kaiba let out a laugh, and Yami spasmed inadvertently as he felt Kaiba’s hot breath seep in through his underwear and graze along his length.

Tugging at Yami’s underwear with his teeth, Kaiba shot him a tentative glare through his bangs, watching Yami’s chest heaving with excitement. He seemed to be liking it.

“Go on, do it, you coward,” Yami urged, shuddering with disbelief at his own words. Kaiba’s mouth pressing on his dick through his underwear was already driving him crazy. This was…insane! Insanely good. 

He watched Kaiba free his boner and take him firmly in his mouth, dipping his head down earnestly to give him a tight, hot suck, sending a violent jolt of pleasure running up and down his body, leaving him shivering and senseless, aching for more.

Amazing. What a feeling!

Kaiba’s mind hummed and shut off pleasantly as he swirled his tongue roughly over Yami’s tip, viciously tonguing his slit repeatedly as he discovered this would make Yami’s thighs tense and harden underneath him with each flick of his tongue. Incredible.  
Such…control he’d never thought he’d have over the Other Yugi…well, he had it now.

Taking deep ragged breaths, Yami could barely keep his eyes open as Kaiba pulled away to wrap his hand around his dick and give him several slow strokes upwards.

Shivering at the sudden change, Yami hissed and attempted to glare, “Your mouth…again.”

Kaiba’s mouth felt amazing, unlike anything he had ever experienced, and Yami realized he never wanted that feeling to end. 

Kaiba shot Yami another playful grin, his heart pounding so fast in his chest, it began to hurt. He dipped his head down again and let out a happy huff of air the moment Yami thrust his hips upwards, almost choking him without warning. Hot hands tightened in his hair as Yami continued to rock his hips upwards pleasurably into Kaiba’s dense mouth, and Kaiba held his breath, his chest swirling with happiness. This was pure lust. Yami wanted him…Yami wanted...this!

Through his pleasurable haze, Yami wondered faintly if he was being too rough, but Kaiba’s hands had tightened over his hips, seemingly attempting to keep his head down firmly between his legs. The sight of light brown hair clamped between his thighs blurred as Yami came roughly into Kaiba’s mouth, shaking and shuddering with each lewd swirl of Kaiba’s tongue running up and down along his length.

Kaiba pulled away too quickly and accidentally hit his head against the top bunk, hearing Yami let out an amused laugh at the sight of him wincing while cum dripped down his chin.

“That’s payback,” Yami nodded, reaching forward to clean drop of cum off of Kaiba’s sharp chin before swiping it playfully across his cheek.

Kaiba let out a low growl and lunged at Yami, tackling him down into the sheets, hearing the pharaoh squirm and yell in protest while he wrestled him back.

Their legs got tangled in the sheets, and the lights flickered on above them. They froze, gazing into each other’s eyes, their hearts thundering in sync with panic and dread.

Yugi stood at the doorway, aghast, staring at the sight before him.

Yami’s pants were on the floor, and a bare leg was sticking out from between Kaiba’s slender ones while the two were apparently…wrestling.

“Oh…g—…oh…my—” Yugi choked, and he flipped the lights off, dashing back down the stairs, intent on spending the night literally anywhere the fuck else.

* * *

**Author's note:**

requested by dragonsfire18


	6. MOKUBA’S ANTICS [prideshipping]

“Here.” Atem set the worn duel disk down onto Kaiba’s desk with a heavy thunk and folded his arms tightly across his chest, giving the CEO an apprehensive glare.

“We don’t need it anymore.”

Kaiba stood on the other side of his desk, gazing apprehensively at the disk, wondering what was happening.

“Right, well, thanks,” Atem said roughly, turning towards the door, and he paused mid-step, noticing Mokuba’s shadow flitting across the floor by the bevel.

Kaiba frowned at the old duel disk, seeing chips in the paint dotting the sharp white edge.

“Wait, what the fuck,” Kaiba growled, sweeping the disk up in his arms and moving to block Atem’s way to the door. “Do I look like a junkyard to you? Discard your own trash, or are you and Yugi really that poor, so much that you can’t afford the disposal fee?”

Atem tensed in anger and decided not to dignify that with an answer.   
Instead, he chose to watch Mokuba’s shadow scratch his head slowly.   
Why was that little gremlin eavesdropping on their conversation?

“Gone mute?” Kaiba hissed, towering over Atem and narrowing his blue eyes coldly at the former pharaoh. “Take it back. I have no use for old tech.”

He shoved the disk against Atem’s chest, but to his annoyance, Atem’s arms remained tightly folded and his angular eyes narrowed at him in response.

After a long moment, Atem finally spoke, “We’ve tried.”

“Tried what?” Kaiba took a threatening step closer, growing tired of Atem’s vagueness. “Spit it out.”

He had had a long day and Atem’s intrusion into his home was the last thing he needed. Also, he felt strangely offended for some reason.

Was his old tech not good enough to keep for…memories?

“We can’t dispose of it without fans digging it back out and putting it up for sale,” Atem said, dropping his hands to his sides, deciding to take a different approach. “It happened with your very first model you gave Yugi. It’s on the market now at—”

“Yeah, I know how much they’re selling it for,” Kaiba interrupted furiously, his cheeks burning with frustration at the memory of seeing it up for auction. “So what the fuck do you want me to do with this shit?”

“Keep it?” Atem raised his eyebrows nonchalantly, holding his breath lightly when he caught a whiff of Kaiba’s overwhelming scent of bittersweet coffee. “Or take it apart? Whatever the case, it came from you. It’s yours.”

“No, it’s yours,” Kaiba said through gritted teeth, feeling another hot rush of anger. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but the more he thought about Atem not wanting to keep the old duel disk, his chest tightened painfully.

There was another long, tense silence before a soft click echoed through the room, and Atem tilted his head, looking past Kaiba to see that Mokuba had snuck the door closed.

Right, their arguing was probably disturbing him.

“Well, it’s yours now,” Atem replied carelessly, giving Kaiba a dismissive wave. “Good night, Kaiba.”

Stepping around the tall CEO, Atem walked to the door and leaned on the handle, feeling it resist him and remain solidly in place. Frowning in confusion, Atem gave the door another hard yank, pushing, pulling, and then jiggling the handle furiously.

“Open the door, Kaiba.” The former pharaoh whirled around to glare at his rival who was wearing mildly shocked expression before he composed himself and joined him at the closed door.

Kaiba grabbed the handle and gave it a firm yank. It did not budge, and he grit his teeth in annoyance.

Mokuba.   
Of course, Mokuba had locked it. He had seen his little brother eavesdropping by the door. No one else could’ve done it.  
Did he think this was some kind of funny prank?

“Kaiba?” Atem frowned worriedly and watched Kaiba slip out his phone and tap on the screen silently.

The lock clicked loudly, and Atem let out a sigh of relief. Kaiba and his technology.

“Your locks are malfunctioning,” Atem said loftily, grabbing the handle quickly with a smirk. “See you.”

Upon hearing this, Kaiba’s blood boiled and he half-wished the door would re-lock itself just to make a point.

The lock clicked loudly again, and Atem blinked in surprise. He let go of the handle and took a solid step back, eyeing the door and the phone in Kaiba’s slender hand, wondering if Kaiba was doing this to him on purpose.

“It wasn’t me,” Kaiba said dryly, showing Atem his glowing screen which had a red block of text along the bottom reading “home office door – Locked”

“It’s locked, you idiot,” Atem growled, pointing at it, and Kaiba’s eyes widened.

He hastily tapped it again, and the screen blinked green for a moment before the lock clicked open, and clicked again.

Mokuba’s cackling could be heard on the other side of the door and Kaiba rolled his eyes.

“Mokuba! Not funny!” Kaiba raised his voice, resisting the urge to pound on the door. “Let us out!”

“Yes, what did I ever do to you, Mokuba?” Atem asked keenly, giving the door a firm, polite knock.

“You suck,” came the cheeky reply from the other side. “You and Seto both suck. I’m not letting you out until you both suck less.”

“What does that even mean?” Atem protested, and Kaiba strode forward to bang furiously on his own door with his fist, almost rattling the chandelier on the ceiling from the force of his pounding.

“Mokuba! You open this door right now!” he shouted, his heart racing frantically in his chest at the thought of being caged together with Atem for the rest of a night that was supposed to be relaxing.

“Or else what?” Mokuba called back, his footsteps fading away from the door. “I’ll come check on you guys in a few hours before my bedtime. Bye!”

“Mokuba! We’re sorry!” Atem cried, rushing to the door and flattening his palm on the lacquered surface while Kaiba gave the door a vicious kick.

Damn Mokuba and his antics. 

“Great,” Kaiba sighed tiredly, and he walked back to his desk to sit down, palming his face and hearing Atem shuffle awkwardly in the middle of his room.

“So…let me out,” Atem said slowly, nodding at Kaiba’s phone and giving the door a fervent glance. “Now. You can unlock it now. He’s gone!”

Kaiba held his breath, knowing that he could override Mokuba’s little prank, but another part of him didn’t want to do that. That would be too easy.

If anything, this was a great opportunity to get Atem to take the duel disk back.

“Wait five minutes and I’ll see if I can reset the entire security system,” Kaiba growled, waving at the TV on the wall. “Entertain yourself.”

Atem eyed the TV cautiously and stared at the edge of the bed.

“Where am I supposed to sit?” he asked tersely, wondering why there wasn’t any other furniture in Kaiba’s room.

“Sit anywhere, it doesn’t matter,” Kaiba replied carelessly, flipping open his laptop, intent on ignoring Atem for as long as possible.

Atem stared at Kaiba for a long moment before deciding to pick up the TV remote from the nightstand and move to sit gingerly on the edge of Kaiba’s bed.

He tapped the ‘on’ button aimlessly and watched the screen flash brightly, showing the evening news.

Rolling his eyes, Atem sighed and walked to the door, testing the handle again. It was still locked.

He paced in front of the TV for a while, growing impatient.

Kaiba saw his own fingers tremble as he positioned them stiffly over his keyboard. He couldn't fucking work like this!   
Atem was acting like a caged animal, going between rattling the door handle to sitting on the edge of his bed, before getting up to test the door again.

Keeping his gazed fixed on his computer screen, Kaiba heard Atem opening and closing his nightstand drawers, clearly snooping without shame.

“Hey!” Kaiba snapped, giving Atem a sharp glare, seeing the pharaoh’s hand already halfway in his nightstand drawer. “Stop that.”

Atem gave Kaiba a defiant look and slipped his hand out slowly, “There’s nothing to watch, and there’s nothing to do.”

“You don’t have to watch the evening news,” Kaiba replied through clenched teeth, pointing furiously at the edge of his bed. “Sit the fuck down.”

“Fine,” Atem fumed, his cheeks burning with frustration.

He snatched the remote up again and sat down huffily, flipping through the channels aggressively.

Kaiba clenched his jaw and listened to the warbled voices cutting off every few seconds, and his temper rose.   
Atem wasn’t watching anything.   
He was just pressing the button for the sake of making noise.

Kaiba’s irritation rose quickly, and along with it, the speed of which Atem was changing the channels.

He snuck a glance at the pharaoh, slightly surprised to see that he had made himself somewhat comfortable and was spread out on the edge of his bed. His shoes had been kicked off and were lying haphazardly on the floor.

Well, at least someone was satisfied.

The choppy voices suddenly morphed into heavy breathing and soft pants, and Kaiba heard an amused snicker from Atem.

He froze, cold sweat trickling down his back.

W-Was Atem seriously watching porn?

Atem grinned to himself, eyeing the two female actors on the TV sensually dragging their hands down each other’s bodies, and he made sure to keep his eyes nailed to the screen.

He saw Kaiba shift awkwardly and sit up straighter behind his desk, emanating waves of hostility.

Was Kaiba irritated? Good.  
Also…was this the type of porn the CEO enjoyed?!  
This discovery was surprising…yet somehow too cliché.

“Turn…it off,” Kaiba breathed, his voice barely audible above the loud moans coming from the TV. “…Atem!”

“Didn’t know you knew my name,” Atem shot back mindlessly, tapping the volume button and turning it up spitefully. “I’m watching something I enjoy. Leave me alone.”

Kaiba cursed internally and shut his eyes tightly, willing himself to remain composed.

The two girls’ panting had gotten too loud and it was causing his ears to ring strangely.  
  
Unable to take it anymore, Kaiba sprung out of his chair and rushed towards the remote in Atem’s hand, wrestling it out of his grip, ignoring Atem’s protests.

Warm hands fought him back eagerly but Kaiba was stronger. He held the remote up triumphantly and hit the red power button, finally throwing the room into silence.

Atem eyed Kaiba’s face, smiling playfully, “Embarrassed?”

Kaiba said nothing, tightening his grip on the remote furiously, his mind churning for a hurtful comeback, but drawing a blank.

The silence grew heavier and Atem trailed his gaze down Kaiba’s slender chest, noticing a visible bulge in his pants.

“You like it that much?” Atem said airily, pointing at Kaiba’s obvious boner, grinning happily. “You have an erection.”

“ _You_ have an erection,” Kaiba replied aggressively, folding his arms across his chest. His chest tightened strangely when he saw the way Atem reddened after glancing down at himself.

Atem swallowed thinly, burning with embarrassment at the visible outline of his dick straining against the zipper of his pants. Ah…shit.

“Well…it’s just an erection,” Atem said weakly, his thighs burning hot from the intensity of Kaiba’s stare.

Kaiba let his breath out slowly, his mind racing.  
Right, it was just an erection. Erections were natural, and a normal reaction after watching a porn.  
  
The silence grew heavier, and Atem shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he ought to take care of himself in the bathroom.

Before he could speak, Kaiba dropped to his knees and pressed a cold hand down onto Atem’s knee. Atem froze, his heart thundering nervously in his chest as he stared at the way Kaiba’s brown bangs covered his eyes, seeing the edges of his lips curling upwards in a playful sneer, “Clearly, it needs to be taken care of.”

“…C-Clearly,” Atem breathed, his breath hitching wonderfully as slender fingers began undoing his belt and tugging his zipper down.

Kaiba moved quickly like a man possessed, tossing Atem’s belt aside and undoing the button at the top of his pants, excited at the sight of Atem’s hardness sticking straight upwards from the V of his tight leather pants.

Unable to breathe, Atem watched Kaiba stand slowly to unbutton his own pants. He stared, mesmerized by the way Kaiba’s fingers moved with ease.

“Touch mine,” Kaiba demanded, grabbing Atem’s hand and pressing it flat onto his underwear-clothed erection. “And I’ll touch yours. It feels better when it’s someone else’s hand anyway.”

 Atem tentatively reached forward and wrapped his hand around Kaiba’s hardness, shivering at the sudden warmth. He felt Kaiba’s cold fingers creep towards the edge of his underwear and free his length after giving it a rough rub.

Holding his breath, Atem stared at his own hand wrapped around Kaiba’s stiffness which was leaking wonderfully at the tip.   
This was…a strange situation.   
Never in a million years could he have imagined doing this sort of thing with Kaiba.   
Was this...wrong?

Kaiba let out a hiss of frustration when Atem’s grip loosened and he reached his free hand down to clamp down over the pharaoh’s tanned knuckles, giving him a hard squeeze. “Don’t fucking stop, or I won’t cum.”

Atem shot Kaiba a vicious but silence glare and complied begrudgingly. He pressed his thumb tightly into Kaiba’s slit and gave it several teasing swirls, shuddering happily from the warm waves of pleasure from Kaiba’s hand as he did the same. Kaiba smirked and bent forward hastily, burying his nose into Atem’s spiky blonde bangs while his legs grew weak. Atem’s hot hand felt so good…much different from what he was accustomed to, and he seemed to know exactly what to give.   
  
Each time his breath hitched in his chest, Atem gave him a rough jerk upwards, causing his head to spin and his cheeks to burn.

Atem’s breaths grew shallow and he found it difficult to keep his eyes open. Kaiba’s tie was blurring mightily in his vision, and a wonderful, hot breath was panning across his cheek, traveling to his ear, stinging the shell with a firm bite before breezing down his neck, stopping just at his collarbone.

Kaiba’s musk was now overwhelmingly strong, and every steady pump from his hand on his groin sent delicious pulses of electricity running up and down his legs, building hotter and higher the harder Kaiba’s teeth dug into his skin. Giving in to the wonderful new sensations, Atem shut his eyes completely and relaxed fully into Kaiba’s hand, letting the tight pressure of his orgasm spill over.

Kaiba swallowed thinly and resisted the urge to press his lips down over Atem’s half-parted ones as he climaxed thickly into his hand, his chest tight with a strange mixture of longing and confusion.

Atem opened his eyes slowly while the warm feelings faded quickly, and he slowly uncurled his fingers off of Kaiba’s dick with rising horror.

A nervous half-smile was sitting on the CEO’s lips as he slowly retracted his own and turned away quickly to clean himself up, acting as if nothing had happened.  
  
Nothing had just happened…right?

Kaiba tossed a box of tissues onto the bed before quickly striding into the bathroom. Atem hastily grabbed a fistful of tissues to dry himself off, his cheeks burning with a mixture of confusion and shame.

He buttoned himself up quickly and picked his belts up from the floor, hearing Kaiba step out of the bathroom and hover by the door, pointing awkwardly inside, “Go ahead.”

Without waiting for another invitation, Atem dashed inside and slammed the door quickly, locking himself in for safety.

Kaiba stared at the closed door, his eyes watering heavily with emotion. What had just happened?  
Something…natural, right?  
They both had needs, and it just happened to be…convenient!  
  
Biting back a sigh, Kaiba sat down at the edge of the bed, hearing the water running through the door. Hopefully, after this, maybe something would’ve changed between them…for the better.

Atem stepped cautiously out of the bathroom and stood awkwardly from afar, eyeing the bedroom door, wondering if it was still locked.

He walked over to it and tested it, cursing internally when the handle did not give.

“Leaving already?” Kaiba said lightly, crossing his legs and folding his arms defensively. Why did it feel like Atem was running away?

There was a long silence.   
Atem clenched and unclenched his fist, retracting his hand and straightening up nervously, at a loss for words.

“Yes,” the pharaoh answered stiffly, staring at the opposite wall, unable to make eye contact. “Same time next week?”

Kaiba blinked, slightly taken aback by the sudden forwardness.   
Were his ears deceiving him?  
Dare he hope that the pharaoh had enjoyed that just as much as he had?

“Yeah, same time next week,” Kaiba answered gruffly, his cheeks burning strangely, and he dared himself to smile.

There was another long silence, but this time, it was warm and comfortable.

Suddenly, the sound of the lock clicking open echoed thinly through the room, and the rivals shared similar shocked expressions.

Mokuba’s tiny footsteps could be heard pattering away down the hall and Atem composed himself first.

“Good,” he breathed, nodding at the old duel disk on Kaiba’s desk. “You will take care of that for me?”

“Come back next week and find out,” Kaiba smirked, regaining in his confidence quickly, and his heart soared wonderfully when Atem smiled playfully at him over his shoulder.

This was the start of a wonderful new thing.

* * *

**Author's note:**

written for taedae


	7. PET SLAVE YAMI [flareshipping, dark themes]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dom!Yugi and his daily life with (gentle/timid) sub!Kaiba and (playful/vengeful) sub!Atem  
> Warning: collars & chains.

Atem slid his thigh over Kaiba’s knee and threw him a mischievous smile, waiting for a reaction.

Kaiba ignored him, his eyes nailed to the TV.  
He wasn’t going to take the bait. They had already been punished yesterday for not including Yugi in their playtime, and Kaiba was still feeling a bit sore from it.

Atem on the other hand, seemed unfazed. He slowly snuck his hand forward gave Kaiba’s chain a hard, spiteful yank. Kaiba lurched forward with the force of the tug, his eyes watering heavily as the collar’s edge dug into the skin at the back of his neck and burned.

“Fuck…you!” Kaiba hissed, quickly losing his patience and lunging at Atem, hearing him laugh and attempt to dodge him, but Kaiba was faster. He gathered Atem’s chain in his slender fingers and gave it a retaliating tug, feeling Atem thrash out at him and attempt to kick him.

Kaiba grabbed Atem’s ankle and wrestled him down expertly, pinning his slender body down between his thighs, panting with exertion.

“Stop it!” Kaiba breathed, his head spinning violently with a mixture of fear and excitement. “You never listen to him!”

“He said he’d be back soon,” Atem retaliated, reaching up to curl his fingers tightly over Kaiba’s bicep and giving it a teasing squeeze. “When is ‘soon’? How long does it take to pick up pre-ordered groceries?”

Kaiba narrowed his eyes down at Atem, guiltily enjoying the way his blonde bangs splayed out on the couch cushions beneath him.

“Come on…he won’t know,” Atem said silkily, leaning up and pressing a tentative kiss on Kaiba’s lips, feeling Kaiba tense nervously in response before he gave in, melting wonderfully into his sweet breath.

Kaiba slowly relaxed into Atem’s embrace, feeling himself sweat and it caused the leather collar to stick uncomfortably to his skin. His hands moved on their own, and he raked them down Atem’s body, dragging his tongue across his collarbone for good measure.  
Oh no…he had fallen into the trap! How could he stop now?  
Atem tasted…heavenly.

Atem smiled and threw his head back, sighing happily to himself as he ran his hands through Kaiba’s soft brown hair, mussing it up wonderfully and enjoying the fresh floral scent that rose up from it. Perfect. He could now make Kaiba service him personally.

The door slammed, and they both froze for a moment before frantically shoving each other away, their chains on their collars tangling horribly in the process.

Yugi heard this and kicked the door shut, standing breathlessly in the hallway, listening for more suspicious movement.

When he heard none, he strode into the living room with his arms still full of groceries and saw Atem and Kaiba on the couch with their heads ducked down, desperately trying to untangle themselves from each other.

“He started it!” Atem said cattily, elbowing Kaiba aside and edging as far away from him as he possibly could on the other side of the couch.

“Fucking…lies!” Kaiba bared his teeth in hostility at Atem, feeling himself shake all over. “Who do you believe, Yugi?”

“Oh…I don’t know,” Yugi replied lightly, and there was a long silence while he busied himself with the groceries, organizing them on the countertop, cleverly letting the silence ripen.

“Kaiba woke up at four and didn’t fall back asleep,” Atem grinned evilly at Kaiba and threw Yugi an imploring look. “He also didn’t eat breakfast.”

“Shut…up!” Kaiba whispered, his anxiety rising higher by the second, and Yugi gave him a worried frown over his shoulder.

“Kaiba, my rules were very clear,” Yugi said plainly, walking over to the couch and leaning forward to press the backs of his knuckles against Kaiba’s cheek which was flushed red with embarrassment.

“I follow them,” Kaiba replied numbly, hearing Atem snicker at him. Unable to help himself, Kaiba kicked out at Atem spitefully, and Atem lunged at him with a growl, teeth bared, finger’s splayed, coming for his hair.

“Guys!” Yugi cried, but his voice was drowned out by Atem’s ecstatic shout when Kaiba leaned down to bite him on the ear.

Annoyed, Yugi circled the couch and grabbed their chains with both hands and gave them two solid yanks. Gasping, the two men pawed at each other one last time before Kaiba rolled off of Atem, and tried to catch his breath, feeling warm hands sifting through his hair from Yugi’s fingers.

“Kaiba-kun,” Yugi said sternly, kneeling beside Kaiba and softly pressing his nose against the crook of his ear. “You need to eat and sleep on the times that I’ve set. Do you know what happens now?”

A muscle jumped in Kaiba’s cheek and he nodded stiffly, glaring viciously at Atem, who was glaring back with equal ferocity with his chest heaving and his shirt twisted around his body from their tussle. 

Slowly but willingly, Kaiba rose unsteadily to his feet and began unbuttoning his shirt while Atem leered at him from the floor.

“I win,” he said simply, looking pleased with himself, and Yugi shot him a reprimanding look as well.

“You too,” Yugi said icily, moving to sit on the couch, and he crossed his legs tightly after tossing the chains with a loud clink onto the floor at their feet. “At the same time, do it now.”

“Ha,” Kaiba said dryly, slipping his shirt off and dangling it playfully over Atem’s head. “We both lose, you idiot.”

Atem stood quickly and stripped his shirt off too, deciding to ignore Kaiba’s taunt. He gave it a quick twist and tied it around his eyes willingly, hearing Kaiba’s movements beside him, doing the same.

Darkness enveloped him warmly and Kaiba stood very still, waiting for his next instruction. What would it be this time? Yugi would make him suck Atem?  
Yugi would make him guess whose dick was whose?  
  
_What if I can’t tell?_ Kaiba reeled privately, his heart rate increasing with each second of silence that passed.

Atem stood very still and listened keenly for his next instruction, wondering what Yugi had in plan for them this time around. Perhaps he would receive the honor of being filled by Yugi while Kaiba had to listen.

 _That would be the sweetest revenge,_ Atem thought happily, growing steadily more excited with each passing moment of silence.

“Come here, Atem,” Yugi said softly, and Atem slowly stepped forward, feeling his shirt wrap around his ankle as he moved. His shin hit the edge of the couch and he knelt obediently, feeling Yugi’s hand caress his cheek, and something hard bumped against his chin.

Kaiba shivered slightly with a mixture of cold and anticipation, hearing the soft rustle of clothing.

Atem held his breath excitedly when he caught a whiff of Yugi’s musk, and before he could compose himself, Yugi pressed himself tightly up against his lips, demanding entrance. Atem opened his mouth happily and took Yugi’s length into his mouth, sucking powerfully and enjoying the way Yugi’s thighs trembled pleasurably underneath his hands.

Yugi closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, his chest heaving with every lewd swirl of Atem’s tongue over his slit, sending heated jolts of pleasure running up and down his body.

Kaiba was beginning to get impatient, and he took a step forward, hearing Yugi tell him sternly to stay put.

“Wait your turn Kaiba,” Yugi said firmly, shuddering slightly after Atem gave him a particularly languid stroke upwards, his fingers curling wonderfully around his dick and tugging playfully at the foreskin.

Kaiba frowned and felt the makeshift blindfold rub uncomfortably against his ears.

Atem felt Yugi’s hand tighten in his hair and heard a command.

“Touch yourself,” he said, sounding breathless with excitement.

Atem reached a shaky hand down to give himself several firm strokes, his asshole itching with anticipation as he wondered if Yugi would enter him.

“Kaiba-kun, come here,” Yugi called, eyeing the curves of Atem’s ass and enjoying the view.

Kaiba strode over awkwardly and managed to stand beside Atem without tripping over anything. A cold bottle of lube was pressed into his hand, and Yugi encouraged him gently, “Prepare him. I want to watch.”

Atem froze, his heart thudding frantically in his chest.  
Kaiba had only entered him once…this would be the second time.

A gentle hand caressed his ass, and Yugi’s hand tightened in his hair once more.

“Keep going.”

Atem nodded weakly and tried to ignore the cold stream of lube running sticky between his legs as Kaiba blindly poured a generous amount onto his backside and carelessly thrust a finger inside, giving it a playful twist and swirl, causing his stomach to churn strangely, and he let out a silent gasp, his body burning with a wonderful heat.

“Good,” Yugi breathed, eyeing Kaiba’s dick hovering just above Atem’s perky ass cheeks. “Now remember what I taught you before. Go…slow.”

Atem grit his teeth and braced himself, his body assaulted with too many sensations at once. Kaiba slid into him at an achingly slow pace, filling him up to the brim with delicious heat, and Yugi’s hand kept pushing his head down harder against his length. His collar was chafing uncomfortably against Yugi’s thigh, but Atem paid it no mind, because his dick was throbbing with need, and he wished Kaiba would touch him in the front, but he was unable to talk. His mouth was full.

Yugi blinked slowly, his mind lost in an erotic haze as he watched Kaiba throw his head back and sigh contentedly, thrusting himself in and out of Atem’s hole with reckless abandon, his Adam’s apple jumping excitedly in his throat with every lewd motion.

Kaiba gripped Atem’s hips and dug his fingernails in, feeling a rush of warmth and relief. Atem was so…docile when he was like this, and he’d be lying if he said that this wasn’t this favorite version of the pharaoh. The blindfold heightened his senses, and he could hear Atem’s pants mingling in with Yugi’s excited gasps every time he gave Atem a particularly hard thrust, and Atem’s mouth would sink deeper onto Yugi’s length, sending Yugi into a wonderful frenzy.

Atem could barely keep his eyes open. His chest was bursting for breath, and his dick was leaking painfully. He reached down to touch himself, and instead, found Kaiba’s hand, sliding down his thigh, his slender fingers sliding up along the inner curves, grazing sensually along his balls.

Kaiba grit his teeth and picked up his pace, reaching forward to grab Atem’s dick, giving it several merciless pumps, feeling the pharaoh shudder beneath him and release steadily into his hand. Pleased, Yugi bucked his hips upwards into Atem’s dense, hot mouth, hearing Atem let out a weak moan, but he ignored it. His vision was red with lust, and Kaiba’s pleasurable pants were filling the air around them as he came inside Atem’s ass without warning. Atem let out another yell but choked thickly on Yugi’s semen.

His eyes watered and his throat burned as the blindfold slipped off his eyes, and cum dripped messily down his chin. His hole thrummed with a strange heat, and he felt Kaiba slowly ease himself down onto his knees to lean against his body, his pale, muscular chest damp with sweat.

Gasping for breath, Atem clawed his way up onto the couch beside Yugi, not caring that he was making a mess of the cushions. His chain dragged wetly over a patch of cum and Yugi curled his leg in to avoid it, laughing weakly.

Kaiba stayed where he was. There had been no instruction to remove the blindfold.

“Come here, Kaiba,” Atem grinned, his body shaking and spasming oddly with residual threads of pleasure running down his legs.

“Yes, come here,” Yugi repeated, patting his legs, and Kaiba edged closer towards the sound of their voices.

A warm knee pressed into his chest, and he leaned his head down onto Yugi’s lap, catching a whiff of Atem’s musk as the pharaoh leaned down to press a gentle kiss against his temple.

“How did it feel?” Yugi asked, smiling down at Kaiba who still had the shirt wrapped around his eyes.

“Better than the first time,” Atem declared, resting his head on Yugi’s shoulder and giving his earlobe a playful nibble. “He improved. Your training worked, Aibou.”

Kaiba said nothing and listened to the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

* * *

**Author's note:**

requested by Asagi


	8. VAMPIRE YAMI [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba is walking his dog through a park where a vampire with spiky hair and alluring violet eyes has been hungering for his next meal.

Yami sat on the swing, gazing up at the half moon covered by silver clouds, his mind spinning weak with hunger.  
Damn. It felt like ages since he had last eaten, and he knew it was wrong to prey on children, but they were just…so malleable, and willing!  
Their wounds were also easily explained away by rough-play…it was a win-win, except the other vampires shunned him for banking on easy meals.

Sighing sadly to himself, he gave the ground a frustrated kick, scattering the tanbark with a loud rustle.

A warm but pungent scent of an animal drifted by, and Yami jerked his head up, sniffing tentatively.  
Animal blood was much more humane to consume.

The soft padding of paws was accompanied by the tinkle of a collar, and then heavy footsteps of a human.  
  
_Damn, it’s a pet,_ Yami growled, gripping the swing tightly, growing weaker by the minute.

Kaiba gave the leash a stern tug and his dog followed him dutifully after giving the fence a few more stubborn sniffs.

His dog froze mid-step and sat down oddly in the middle of the sidewalk, gazing balefully at him with her large brown eyes.

“What?” Kaiba growled, tugging the leash again, wondering what had gotten into her. “Come on, I know I’m walking you late, but it’s the park. You love the park…come _on!”_

His dog whined anxiously, and Kaiba ignored her, tugging her in through the park gates and feeling her sit down stubbornly again.

“Seriously?” Kaiba seethed, dropping the leash and folding his arms tightly across his chest, standing over her with an exasperated look on his face. “What’s wrong now? Bathroom? You just went.”

To his annoyance, she laid down on the ground and flicked her ears sadly, refusing to move from the park entrance with her tail draped halfway on the sidewalk.

Yami watched this exchange with growing excitement. Maybe the pet owner would be a delicious meal! He was tall and slender, meaning he could take more than two sips without fear of the human collapsing!

“Your dog is cute!” Yami called, hearing his own voice echo strangely in the empty park, and he shivered with suppressed excitement. A meal…finally, a proper meal!

Kaiba rolled his eyes and ignored the stranger behind him, giving his dog a stern glare.

“Get up now, or we go home.”

Yami rose from the swing and approached the dog owner tentatively, fully aware that the animal feared him. He made eye-contact with the dog and narrowed his eyes, commanding it to stay down as he approached to give her a few gentle pats on her head.

He could feel her vibrating with fear underneath his palm and he ignored it, turning his attention to the human, gazing up into his face and taking in his handsome features.

A beautiful human…just his luck! A pretty and tasty meal….

“I didn’t say you could touch her,” Kaiba said coldly, feeling himself slowly grow oddly numb from the way the stranger was staring daggers into him.

He had wild, spiky hair, and large alluring violet eyes that he sank into the moment they made eye contact. His lips were beautifully plump, almost like a woman’s, but his jawline was sharp, which dipped down into a slender neck, displaying a prominent Adam’s apple, and slender shoulders.

A man. A very beautiful man.

“What’s her name?” Yami asked readily, pushing gently into the human’s mind and encountered a surprisingly solid mental wall. He backed away quickly, understanding that an adult’s mind was not as soft as a child’s and he needed to be sneaky.

“Not telling you,” Kaiba replied nastily, wondering why he suddenly felt sleepy. He looked away quickly and heard the man hiss angrily at him.

“Hey, look at me,” Yami growled, and the human reluctantly met his eyes again. “Then tell me your name.”

“Seto…” the CEO replied, his own name falling from his lips against his own will, and he blinked rapidly, feeling an odd haze settle heavily at the front of his mind.

Yami rose to his feet and bravely rested a hand on the human’s shoulder, still gazing steadily into his clear blue eyes which were growing darker under his hypnosis.

“Nice to meet you…Seto,” Yami breathed, inching closer daringly and wondering if he could break eye-contact now to take a bite. “You’re…quite handsome.”

Kaiba blinked again, weakening when an overpowering sweet stench enveloped him, causing his vision to blur mightily, and he was unable to focus on anything other than the delicate face hovering before him.  
Was he being…seduced?  
Who was this stranger?  
And what was this odd…perfume?

“How about a kiss?” Yami asked quietly, pressing down on Kaiba’s shoulder and standing up on his tiptoes, “Bend down.”

Kaiba obeyed against his will as an invisible force bent him forwards, and the next thing he knew, he was kissing the spiky-haired stranger with soft tenderness. His breath was hot against his skin, his lips tasting like something unique and sweet, but familiar at the same time.  
  
Electrified and rooted to the spot with arousal, Kaiba parted his lips daringly and tried to deepen the kiss, his mind screaming at him to stop, and he dimly wondered what he was doing.

It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered, aside from the hot breath panning across his cheek and traveling down to his neck where the stranger was now kissing and sucking on his skin with a strange fervor, each lick of his tongue sending a delicious shiver up his body.

Yami grinned triumphantly and gently sank his fangs into the soft, pale flesh, his mind humming with relief as he took a tentative sip, tasting the wonderful thick nectar that trickled down his throat, quenching his thirst.  
  
His stomach churned with hunger, and he pulled Kaiba into a tight embrace, inhaling deeply and taking another long drink, feeling the human trembling wonderfully in his arms.  
  
_Last…one_ , Yami swore weakly to himself, shuddering happily as he took hurried gulp and pulled away softly, making sure to spit on the wound so it would heal faster.

Kaiba struggled to keep his eyes open, his vision going green as the sweet perfume coupled with the tight embrace from the stranger made every breath difficult. What…was…happening?  
Were they kissing, or not kissing?

Finally, the stranger released him and grinned prettily at him in the semi-darkness, licking his lips sensually as he spoke, “Thank you…Seto. I feel better now.”

Dizzy with confusion, Kaiba watched the man give him a casual wave over his shoulder and side-step his dog before heading down the sidewalk, disappearing down the street.

Kaiba dropped to his knees and tried to calm his rapidly pounding heart, his ears ringing with a strange sound.

His dog whined at him and licked his fingers reassuringly.

“I think…I got picked up,” Kaiba said weakly, giving her nose a soft pat before sitting down fully on the concrete beside her. “Do you think I’ll see him again?”

* * *

 

“Your first adult meal this year?” The bartender snickered, passing Yami his drink and leaning forward with a grin. “That’s a shocking change for _child-feeder_ like you.”

“Please, say it louder,” Yami growled coldly, gripping his drink with fury, his cheeks burning hot. “I refuse to keep an adult human as a pet or slave. And some children come forward willingly.”

“And you wonder why everyone hates you,” the bartender rolled his eyes and walked away to tend to another vampire who was giving them dirty looks.

Sighing anxiously to himself, Yami stared at the small oval light reflects hovering in his drink, his stomach churning with pain…again.

He was now hungrier than ever, after having taken several large gulps as opposed to the careful sips his body was accustomed to receiving, the hunger-hangover was proving difficult to cure.

As a result, the beautiful pale face of the human whose name he had already forgotten, hovered incessantly at the front of his mind. Clear blue eyes…light brown hair….

“ _A human,”_ the bartender breathed, edging closer towards Yami and eyeing the doorway where a tall, slender figure stayed standing, motionless. “Rare, but not unheard of. Does he know that he’s walking in through death’s door?”

“Don’t care,” Yami drawled, pushing the glass across the bar slowly and tapping the rim with his nail. “Hit me again.”

“Look, werewolf _Gaius_ is already circling him,” the bartender continued, clearly eager to narrate a play-by-play. “Someone is being bitten tonight—”

“I asked for a refill, and I don’t care,” Yami interrupted furiously, waving the glass and wishing he could feel the headrush of being blood-drunk again, and not liquor-drunk. One was more fulfilling than the other.

 Kaiba stood anxiously the doorway, doing his best to hide his fear when a man taller than himself approached him and bowed deeply, grinning a thousand-watt smile.

“Welcome…” the man drawled, gesturing for him to step inside. “What brings you to this…establishment, Mr…?”

Kaiba ignored him and fixated on the spiky-haired individual sitting at the bar with his back turned. Found him! Was that him? It had to him!

If the rumors were anything to go by, patrons who received two pinpricks on their neck always remembered this location as the last place they had gotten drunk.

“He’s…coming here…” the bartender breathed, snatching up Yami’s glass and turning around to fill it quickly for the sake of something to do.

He didn’t want to serve the human because it meant the human would stay, and the longer the human stayed, the shorter his lifespan.

Also, this was a pretty human, so the danger increased tenfold.

“Hey,” Kaiba approached the spiky-haired figure and sat down beside him, his heart pounding thickly in his chest when he realized the entire bar had gone awfully quiet.

Yami froze, turning to meet the gaze of the human sitting beside him, and his breath left his body in a sudden _whoosh!_

“You ditched me, so I found you,” Kaiba said readily, feeling the air humming with an odd tension, and he ignored it.

He knew this was a dangerous, “paranormal” “supernatural” bar, but that was all bullshit because everyone was just acting like drunk idiots.

“Y-You found me,” Yami said weakly, unable to meet the human’s gaze and fully aware that the bartender was gaping at him. “Who are you again?”

Kaiba blinked rapidly, wondering if he was hallucinating or had gone crazy.

Was this guy fucking serious? For the past two weeks, all he could think about was their strange meeting and the kiss that had left him weak in the knees and dizzy for three days.  
Did that encounter mean nothing to this spiky-haired individual?

“Who am I?” Kaiba fumed, wondering if he ought to drag this man outside into the alleyway and forcefully kiss some sense back into him. “You don’t remember me?”

Yami gave the human an appraising look, his eyes slowly roaming from the top of his head down to the tips of his very shiny dress shoes.  
Well-dressed, neat, prim and proper…and very handsome.  
An angelic human who was unaccustomed to rejection, perhaps?  
Oh…this was bad.  
He didn’t want contact with the same human again.  
Wasn’t that against the rules somewhere?  
But this human had sought him out willingly.  
Did that mean…another meal was in his future?

“I forgot your name, Mr. Dog Owner,” Yami said apologetically, feeling the air rumble with discontent from surrounding patrons who were obviously eavesdropping. “Can I buy you a drink?”

 _Mr. Dog Owner?_ Kaiba reeled privately, gripping his knees tightly while his head spun with confusion and disappointment.

“No, allow me,” the werewolf slinked forward between them and leaned across the counter, grinning evilly at the bartender. “Two whiskeys, Smelly, and make them neat. This man looks like he takes them neat.”

“I’m here to take you out…right now,” Kaiba growled, rising to his feet and grabbing Yami by the arm, dragging him through the bar towards the door. “I can’t fucking believe you forgot my name.”

Unable to protest, Yami kept his mouth shut and his head lowered, letting the human lead him out of the bar, his chest tight with a strange feeling.

Was it okay to feed on this human again tonight?  
He knew the human meant well, but he was… _so_ hungry.

They stepped out into the cool night air and Kaiba pulled Yami into a narrow alleyway and hovered threateningly above him, taking in his slightly wide-eyed expression.

Good, he wasn’t hallucinating. This man was just as pretty as he had remembered.

“Ah! I remember now,” Yami said bravely, wondering why it felt like he was the one being hunted when in fact he was the superior being. “Seto…right?”

“Congrats. Where’d you pull that one out from, your ass?” Kaiba replied sarcastically, his heart pounding excitedly in his chest almost as if it had a mind of its own.

This man smelled sweet…so sweet, and it was addicting, alluring, irresistible—unlike anything he had ever encountered before.

“That’s…not your name?” Yami cried, floundering when he felt Kaiba advance onto him further and pin him up against the brick wall, the scent of his warmth dangerously overpowering.

“It is.” Kaiba bared his teeth and daringly pressed his nose into Yami’s spiky crop of bangs, taking a deep breath and feeling himself grow weak while mumbling, “How dare you forget it?”

Yami nodded stiffly, trembling with restraint as he stood there, letting the human dive nose-first into his pheromone cloud seemingly without a care in the world.

Daring himself to feel happy, Yami reached up to wrap his arms tightly around the human’s slender shoulders, giving him a firm squeeze, listening to the steady pound of his heartbeat.  
Amazing. Perhaps this was too good to be true!  
Had he finally successfully caught a human?!

* * *

**Author's note:**

written for glider!


	9. STRIP! [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba is dragged to a strip club for a celebratory event and discovers something new about himself after realizing he couldn’t take his eyes off of a particular male dancer with violet eyes.

Kaiba leaned back against the soft leather seat, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the rambunctious, sweaty crowd of men sitting scattered in then night club before him. The stench of alcohol was heavy in the air, and it caused his head to pound painfully with every hollow beat of music.

“This toast…for Mr. Kaiba…” the man to his left drawled, elbowing him playfully, and Kaiba edged away, irritated. “Cheers!”

All the men sitting at the table raised their champagne glasses and clinked merrily.

Refusing to drink, Kaiba kept his arms tightly folded across his chest, glaring at everyone and everything.  
  
He loathed this atmosphere, but his presence had been requested because the opposing chairman was uncouth and loved hosting meetings in places such as these.

He hated the music. He hated the almost-nudity and the awkward writhing, the terrible dancing, the overt begging. Even though it was dark, Kaiba just knew that every surface was grimy with filth. Greasy men with grabby hands fawned disgustingly over half-naked women who were only interested in their wallets.  
  
Unfortunately, he was one of those men with “large wallets” here tonight, and Kaiba was fully aware of it.

Sighing irritably again, he shut the men out and let his mind wander along with his gaze.

A woman, wearing nothing but lace panties and red tasseled nipple covers, walked by carrying a platter of empty champagne glasses. She winked playfully at him, and Kaiba recoiled internally, his stomach churning with dread and unease.

He didn’t dislike women, but women in this setting disturbed him.

Maybe it was the smell, the atmosphere, the obligatory pay-to-peek system…or perhaps it was all of it.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Kaiba eyed the empty stage in the corner, wondering if he ought to excuse himself and find reprieve in the deserted corner instead. Was it safe to leave now?

He rose steadily to his feet and heard the men around him grumble with discontent and slap their hand down on the table, insisting that he stay.

“Mr. Kaiba! Stay a while longer!”

“Yes, we’ve only just sat down…or did you see someone you liked?” the man beside him asked cheekily, flashing him a knowing grin, and Kaiba shook them all off with a haughty sniff.

“I’m going sit there for a bit,” he pointed at the deserted booth, and before any could stop him, he waked through the length of the club and settled himself into the empty booth, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

Well, at least now he was alone.

The curtain behind the stage moved ever so slightly, and Kaiba tensed, crossing all of his limbs protectively, his horror rising when he realized…the show was only just beginning.

This wasn’t an empty booth!

A performance was about to start…and he had the front row seat.

Atem stood behind the curtain, chatting happily with his co-worker.

Trying to pass the time in a mostly-straight strip club was difficult, so he would take any conversation he could get, because his nights were always long and boring.

Usually, he never danced, because no one was in the male-only booth, so he was practically getting paid to do nothing. But the downside was…he never earned tips that mattered.

“There’s a party here tonight,” she said cattily, adjusting her hair with a bored flick. “Rich businessmen. Maybe we can take dirty pictures of them and sell it to paparazzi.”

“Sounds fun,” Atem smiled, pulling the chair forward and sitting down happily. “Our area will be empty for sure. Maybe we can even watch them.”

“But I want a 2,000 yen tip too!” She pouted. “Let me ditch you…please! If someone wants to watch, I’ll come back! You can solo it anyway! None of those men care about couple dances.”

Atem sighed, crossing his legs firmly, feeling oddly left out.

“What about me?” he demanded, flashing her a glare. “I’m letting you ditch this dance, so split your tip with me.”

She rolled her eyes and grabbed Atem’s arm, giving him a playful shake. “Come on…please! If someone sits down in our booth, I’ll just come back! You can solo it anyway!”

“Fine, go!” Atem hissed, shaking her off after seeing one smartly-dressed businessman sitting directly in the middle of the booth, gazing steadily at him, his features unrecognizable in the darkness.

“Ooo thank you Atem! I’ll make it up to you!” She kissed him swiftly on the cheek and dashed away to the other side of the club.

Kaiba watched the last part of this exchange with rising amusement, his heart thundering excitedly in his chest at the sight of the two dancers, one male, sitting regally in a metal chair, and the other, a female, with straight black hair tied high in a tall ponytail. Why did she just leave?

Atem eyed the faceless businessman apprehensively, deciding he would have to dance tonight after all.

He rose slowly to his feet and circled the chair, feeling his skin burn from the heat of the business man’s stare.

Kaiba tried to turn his head to look away, realizing he was about to be given a show, and his eyes were somehow nailed to the fiery tips of the dancer’s hair.  
He was…beautiful!  
Intricate jewelry was braided upwards through the golden spikes in his hair, and his sheer robe glittered in the low lights. His skin was a deep and the golden armbands circling his muscular arms made Kaiba’s heart race even faster.  
What the fuck was this?!

Kaiba uncrossed his legs nervously and shifted in his seat as he contemplated leaving, but the man on stage seemed keen on entertaining him—twirling the chair with frightening precision and sitting spread-legged on it, giving him a full view of his clothed bulge.  
  
Wincing, Kaiba’s eyes began to water. Look away. Look…away!

Their eyes met for a brief second, and Kaiba held his breath, his heart skipping beats every time the spiky-haired dancer ground his hips suggestively against the chair’s back, causing his cheeks to burn with a strange fire.

He heard a chuckle beside him, coupled by the heavy stench of beer, and the executive who was beside him earlier threw himself down into the booth beside him.

“Ahh...Kaiba-kun,” he slurred, slamming his empty glass down on the table before them. “Of course, you like men. It makes sense now! Hey, hey you!”

Kaiba watched with rising horror as the executive stumbled drunkenly over to the stage and curled his finger down, gesturing for the male dancer to lean in close.

His head spun with questions after seeing the beautiful dancer laugh deeply and nod, clearly agreeing to…something.

The executive staggered away from the stage, chuckling to himself, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Annoyed, he rose to his feet, ready to leave, but to his surprise, the dancer also looked like he was leaving…because he had been given a fistful of cash.

His spiky head disappeared behind the curtain and Kaiba breathed a tight sigh of relief.  Whatever. He wasn’t gay.

Atem reemerged from the side door and strode steadily through the club, his eyes nailed to the back of the businessman’s soft brown hair, his heart thumping excitedly.

He quickly circled the booth and grabbed the man’s hand, ignoring his protests and dragging him towards the private rooms in the back, eager to earn his keep. The other man had paid him handsomely, also detailing specific instructions, and Atem tingled with excitement. Maybe this night would be interesting after all.

“What are you doing…let go!” Kaiba hissed, attempting to twist his hand out of the man’s grasp, but to no avail. His grip was iron-like and hot, causing his skin to burn strangely.

They passed a burly man standing guard at a closed door, and Atem pulled Kaiba inside, deaf to his protests.  
If the other man was doing this as a prank, things might get violent, so he had to be careful.

The wind left Kaiba’s lungs in a violent whoosh when the beautiful spiky-haired dancer pushed him down onto a plush couch and stood imposingly over him. His nipples were perky underneath his sheer robe and Kaiba looked away frantically, mouth going dry with terror.

Smirking triumphantly, Atem used his knee to forcefully nudge Kaiba’s knees apart, and he turned around, push his ass up comfortable between his legs and throwing him a look over his shoulder, about to speak, but his voice had vanished.

After seeing the businessman up-close and proper in better lighting, Atem realized that he was incredibly handsome. Chiseled cheekbones were flushed pink with embarrassment, and piercing blue eyes were narrowed threateningly at him, causing his own cheeks to burn. Wow…what a look!

“The rules are…touch me…with your eyes,” Atem breathed, sliding his robe off and grinding his ass teasingly against Kaiba’s crotch, feeling a metal buckle catch painfully against his tailbone. He grit his teeth, wondering how far he could push this businessman…and would he receive another generous tip for it?

Kaiba’s eyelids ached, and he forced himself to blink when he realized he had forgotten to do so the moment he had entered the room.  
Understanding washed over him like a steady wave.  
That mischievous executive had paid for this!  
This was a private dance…and there was no way out.

 Pleased with the obedient silence, Atem reached forward to yank Kaiba’s tie out of his vest and throw it over his shoulder. Then, he trailed his finger down Kaiba’s front, slowly undoing each button while grinding his crotch against the CEO’s knee, relishing in his embarrassed reactions.

Kaiba leaned away nervously, gazing fixedly at a point over Atem’s tanned shoulder, unable to think, speak, or breathe.  
What was happening?  
Was he being stripped?  
Didn’t usually go the other way?  
The dancer should be the one stripping!  
  
His body itched all over with a searing fire, and the dancer’s grinding was steady and unrelenting.

The sheer robe had been draped over is knee, and Kaiba found himself staring cross-eyed at Atem’s nipple while being tightly straddled. His hands instinctively landed on Atem’s hips to push him away, but he found the moment he touched his skin, his hands were glued, and his arms tingled pleasantly.

Atem pried Kaiba’s hands off his hips and bared his teeth, “No touching.”

“Then don’t touch _me_ ,” came Kaiba’s automatic response, and Atem shook his bangs indignantly out of his face.

“Fine.”

Atem took a step back and propped his leg up on the table, sliding his hand slowly down his front to grab himself sensually before spinning around and bending down, making sure his leather thong caught tightly between his ass cheeks.

Not touching the handsome businessman was fine. It made his job easier.

Kaiba unclenched his jaw with relief and glanced down at himself, ashamed to realize he was hard, and his erection was visibly straining against the zipper. Oh…fucking shit.

Atem noticed this instantly and grinned, sliding one golden band off his arm and used it to trace a sensual line down the side of Kaiba’s face, chuckling at the way Kaiba turned his head away stubbornly again.

“I’m not touching you,” Atem teased, pressing the armband flat against Kaiba’s bare chest, appreciating the muscular abdomen underneath the mussed-up dress shirt.

He daringly slid the armband lower and stopped just above Kaiba’s bulge, grinning widely.

Kaiba gazed deeply into the dancer’s fiery angular violet eyes, his resolve crumbling and his chest tight with excitement and arousal.

“How much?” he demanded, his eyes never leaving the golden armband resting playfully against his crotch.

“How much…what?” Atem drawled, sliding the armband down Kaiba’s inner thigh, breathless with excitement. “You want me for an hour instead of five minutes?”

“How much…for you to touch me,” Kaiba said stupidly, his tongue growing numb with incredulity at his own words.

They gazed heatedly into each other’s eyes for a long moment before a rough knock sounded at the door.

Atem straightened up quickly, grabbing his robe off of Kaiba’s knee and walking to the door.

“Our time here is up,” Atem said stiffly, trying to hide his disappointment. “Thank you for requesting me.”

And with that, he swept out of the room, leaving Kaiba sitting stunned and blue-balled, alone in the room.

 _I don’t even know his name!_ Kaiba reeled, bracing himself against his knees and gripping his hair in distress. He took deep even breaths, cursing his boner and willing it to go down.  
  
He was not gay.  
He was not gay.

* * *

**Author's note:**

requested by queenbewd! if you'd like to request one, please[ PM me on tumblr!](https://uglifish.tumblr.com/post/186339046744/hi-friends-this-is-a-thing-thats-happening-i)

hugs,  
Ugli


	10. CALLING [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami is working at a call center, and the next person who picks up his call is Seto Kaiba.

Yami hung up the phone with a heavy sigh and palmed his face in exhaustion. Every time he swore that he would hang up first on someone who was cursing him out, he never found himself doing that.  
  
He always remained on the line, listening to their angry words half-heartedly while his mind wandered.  
  
Life sucked, because work sucked, and so the vicious cycle was eternal. Nobody bought refrigerators from online sales people anymore, and any company still doing calling-advertisements were falling one-by-one to lawsuits regarding privacy.  
  
Also, every other person he’d call would hang up immediately the moment he began his pitch, and Yami was beginning to lose sight of his purpose.

All he could look forward to was the end of his day and the start of every paycheck.

Sighing tiredly again, he clicked on his call-list and was relieved to see only one number left to call.

He picked up the phone and slowly dialed the number, wishing the other person would hang up immediately, or hell, not answer, but to his utter disappointment, someone did pick up.

“Seto Kaiba,” said an equally weary-sounding person on the other end, and Yami was taken aback for a moment before he composed himself and started his pitch.

“Hello,” Yami began, mustering the last of his strength to keep his tone friendly. “Thank you for answering. How are you today?”

“Who the hell are you, and how did you get my number?” Kaiba demanded, thunking his head down on his arm and suppressing a yawn that made his jaws ache. Was this the businessman he had ditched in the meeting yesterday? This was an invasion of privacy!  
  
But…he didn’t remember the businessman’s voice sounding this baritone.  
It was oddly calming. Something he needed today in his whirlwind of hellish non-stop meetings.

The voice was still talking, and Kaiba let himself zone out, daring to close his eyes and letting out a controlled breath.

Yami heard the man on the other end sigh tiredly, and he panicked internally, sensing imminent hang-up.

“Well, perhaps you don’t need a refrigerator,” Yami said seriously, just now realizing why people hung up on him thinking he was prank calling. “We have other appliances you might need to replace. How long have you owned your stove?”

Kaiba kept his eyes closed and understood that this was a prank call. Who had set him up to this and thought it would be funny?

“What’s your name?” Kaiba demanded, frowning against the fabric of his arm and feeling his eyelids ache from exhaustion.

“I-I’m sorry, what?” Yami stammered, now completely thrown. “It’s…Yami. I’m not s—”

“Right, okay, Yami, what did they ask you to do?” Kaiba sat up slowly and leaned back into his chair, now wishing the man would continue speaking because the soothing voice had stopped, and his interest was waning.

On the other end, thoroughly confused, Yami answered the question honestly, “They’re…asking me to sell a total of 56 washer-dryer units, 40 refrigeration—”

“Fine, I’ll buy them all, just send me the bill since you already have my…number,” Kaiba hissed, on the verge of hanging up. This would teach whoever was pranking him a lesson. No one pranked Seto Kaiba and had fun. He was anti-fun. He knew what they were trying to do, and if he just agreed to it, the sooner it would be over.

“Wow, that’s wonderful!” Yami gasped, wondering if _he_ was the one being pranked. “I will send you an invoice right away!”

“Yeah, you do that,” Kaiba growled, and to his mild satisfaction, the man on the phone launched into a rapid-fire speech about how grateful he was.

“Thank you! Wow, thank you so much,” Yami said hollowly, pinning the phone under his ear while typing hastily, searching for the address attached to the phone number.

Kaiba closed his eyes and dared himself to smile. He felt himself beginning to relax the more he listened to the man’s voice.

_“…. You’re too generous. Are you sure you can afford it all, or do you need to pay in installments? Or are you buying this for your business? I see here your current number is…”_

The voice was like music to his ears. It made him feel warm and loved.  
Every time there was a dip in tone, it sent a wonderful shiver up his arms and every pause left him hanging onto every word, even though he was talking about mundane shit.

_“…And it will arrive by truck, each container can hold twelve—”_

“Hey, say something else,” Kaiba demanded, rubbing his brow and glancing down at himself, freezing in shock when he realized he was semi-hard.  
Oh…what the fuck?  
Was he pent-up or did the man’s voice really set him off that much?

“Um…” Yami blinked rapidly and paused in his motions, wondering what was happening. “What?”  
This man was so…strange! First asking for his name, then buying out his entire year’s quota, and now, asking him to say something other than his script?

“No, come on, seriously,” Kaiba said impatiently, resting his hand lightly on his thigh and drumming his fingers as he began to itch with a strange need to hear the man say something lewd.

“I don’t…know what you want me to say,” Yami said awkwardly, now alert and wide-awake.

“This can’t be your only job,” Kaiba encouraged slyly, “Come on. You can tell me. I’ll pay twice your usual rate, now, talk me up. You’ve already got me excited.”

Stunned, Yami slowly processed the mystery gentleman’s words.

Twice his usual rate? Talk him up? Excited?!

 _He thinks I’m an erotic caller!_ Yami paled, instantly horrified, and his hand holding the phone to his ear shook violently.

“What do you look like?” Kaiba pressed, picking up a pen and twirling it out of boredom. “Give me something. You’re boring. I’m hanging up.”

“No!” Yami gasped, his mind spinning with panic as he realized he had not yet confirmed how the deliveries would be taken in. He could play along…maybe a little. Anything to close a sale, right?  
He needed this.  
He was already in the negative for the past two months.

“Right, I am…male,” Yami ventured carefully, his blood running cold when he realized what he was about to do.

Kaiba laughed heartily and pressed his phone tighter against his ear, grinning happily. This guy was a fun tease!

“I work at a call center selling—”

“Boring,” Kaiba interrupted, smiling to himself as he could picture the man on the other end blushing red.

On the other end, Yami was fuming red.

“Fine, I am whatever you think I am,” Yami said loftily, beginning to understand that this man was going to blow him off on the sale without giving him a credit card number if he didn’t play along.

“Sexy?” Kaiba goaded, his own cheeks burning pleasantly as he heard the voice growl back at him.

“Sure, I am that,” Yami hissed, curling his fingers nervously over his knee as he tried to recall the dirtiest lines from porno’s he’d watched. “And you’re filthy. It’s no wonder you’re…”

Kaiba waited breathlessly, halfway between laughter and anticipation. This guy was hilarious!

“I’m what?” Kaiba demanded, growing more impatient every passing second.

“You’re so used to telling people what to do, you forgot what it felt like,” Yami said calmly, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he searched the name ‘Seto Kaiba’. Results came up for a rich and powerful mogul.  
No fucking way.  
He was on the phone with a billionaire?!  
Was this a joke or a dream?  
Deciding to take a shot in the dark, Yami continued to speak, his heart pounding nervously in his chest as he went with his instincts.

“Forgot what what felt like?” Kaiba frowned, hating that he was losing his boner. What the hell was this guy ranting about?

“You forgot what it feels like to be told what to do,” Yami said gleefully, clearing his browser history and hastily searching up lines he could use to elicit a response from the businessman on the other end. “Ever…masturbated in your own office chair?”

“No…” Kaiba breathed, his lips oddly numb as his body burned with a searing fire. His boner had returned with full force and was now throbbing wonderfully. It had been too long since he had even had the time to pleasure himself.

“You should,” Yami smirked, gripping the phone tighter and regaining his confidence quickly. “You’re a dirty, filthy pervert, and you’re thinking about touching yourself already. I know, because your hand is in your pants. But did I say you could?”

Kaiba opened and closed his mouth in shock, his hand already halfway down his underwear. Oh…shit. How did this guy know that?!

“Take your hand out of your pants, you slut,” Yami said coldly, feeling his head rush with sudden elation at the thought of controlling this powerful businessman from his tiny little cubicle, with nothing but a phone pressed against his ear.

Blinking rapidly, Kaiba reluctantly slid his hand out of his pants and his erection pulsed angrily back at him. Shit. He really wanted to just jack off. Was that too much to ask?

“You can start by touching yourself through your clothes,” Yami smirked, making sure to keep his voice low. The soft breaths on the other end were sending a wonderful tingle down his spine. Was this guy really doing it?

Kaiba swallowed thinly and rubbed his thickness through his pants, shutting his eyes and gritting his teeth as he felt himself leak wetly into his underwear. It stuck uncomfortably to his slit, and he hissed in annoyance, giving himself a harder rub through the fabric, enjoying the dull thread of pleasure that spread through his thighs and up his stomach.

“Good, now, you may…unbuckle and unbutton,” Yami said gleefully, hearing the light clicking of a belt and the frantic shuffle of clothing in his ear. Oh…this was good! How delicious! This was quite enjoyable indeed.

“Now, I’m going to,” Kaiba growled, grabbing his own length and hearing the man give him another command through the receiver.

“No. You’re going to…through your underwear.” Yami said simply, now fully at ease. “You don’t deserve to touch it fully just yet. Grab yourself through your underwear and give yourself two slow…slow strokes.”

Kaiba bit his lower lip and threw caution out the window to give in the pleasure of his own hand, stifled by the cloth of his underwear rubbing roughly against his length, and it was sending him into an aroused frenzy. His mind was only on one thing: cumming, and the man’s voice to give him his next command…so he could cum.

Yami leaned back into his chair and enjoyed the light pants echoing through the receiver and he unwittingly grew hard. Damn. This kind of power over another man was quite arousing.

“Let me cum,” Kaiba hissed, his palm chafing from the fabric rubbing against it, and his dick ached for a rougher touch. The underwear was restricting his movements terribly.

“You can…” Yami replied gleefully. “Cum in your pants. I’ll time you, and you can’t release until I say you have five seconds left on the clock. If you cum sooner…I’ll never call you again.”

“I…don’t care,” Kaiba managed through gritted teeth, and grabbed his length tightly through his underwear and masturbating in earnest. Hot waves of pleasure crashed over him steadily as he circled his tip roughly through his underwear and tensed, ready to cum, hearing the voice in his ear laugh smoothly, sending another wild tingle up his arms.

“One minute left,” Yami teased, eyeing the timer on his computer. “Now…fifty seconds…better slow down. You sound like you might cum early.”

Kaiba tensed his thighs and spasmed painfully as he suppressed the orgasm climbing up his chest and feeling it settle down in an uncomfortable bubble low in his stomach.

“Thirty seconds,” Yami whispered playfully, “Fifteen….ten…”

The pants in his ear were growing ragged and uneven. Amazing. This businessman was really holding back.

“…and now you can,” Yami said dispassionately, hearing a stiff huff of air from the other end as a response.

Kaiba threw his head back and his vision went white, and then green as his orgasm consumed him fully and he succumbed to the steady heat crashing over him repeatedly. Shaking and shuddering, Kaiba could barely keep the phone to his ear, so he tapped the speakerphone and set it down on the desk, shifting uncomfortably as semen dripped down his balls and pooled wetly underneath his ass.

F-Fuck! That had been…amazing.

“I did what you said,” Kaiba breathed, hearing his own voice shake. “Give me your real number. Is this it? When can I call you again?”

There was no answer.

On the other end, Yami sat frozen in terror, reading the little red message at the bottom of his computer that he had always ignored.

It said:

_Call in session: recording._

He was fired for sure.

 

* * *

Author's note:  
  
requested by venom-for-free :D requests are currently open! Pm me on[ tumblr to discuss plots!](https://uglifish.tumblr.com/post/186339046744/hi-friends-this-is-a-thing-thats-happening-i)

hugs,  
Ugli

 

 


	11. SECRET AFFAIRS [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami has been assigned a mission he deems boring, but an attractive, blue-eyed brown-haired agent from a rival institution shows up on the same mission, making things a lot more interesting for them both.

Yami gracefully accepted a thin glass of champagne off the tray from a passing waiter, and his date smiled warmly at him, gripping onto his arm tighter.

“I see my friend,” she whispered, letting go quickly and waving at her friend who was standing a few feet away. “I’ll see you at our seats.”

Yami nodded stiffly, and raised his glass in a small toast, growing increasingly more annoyed with each passing second.

The auction for the artifact was about to start, and there was nothing to do, no one to talk with, because he needed to stay alert.

Groups of finely dressed bidders and museum guests milled around, chatting in their respective social circles in hushed whispers with the occasional roaring of laughter after someone had told just a particularly good joke.

Yami gripped his champagne tighter, resisting the urge to take a sip.  
No drinking while on duty….

He scanned the room diligently, seeing no one suspicious.

A tall man drifted by with a pretty woman on his arm, and Yami’s eyes followed her glittering necklace as she walked past. He looked away quickly, hearing the man’s voice in a low whisper, “There’s your friend…why don’t you go say hi?”

Yami froze, recognizing the voice immediately.  
He had heard it thousands of times in recordings, and had even been shown several blurry photographs, but never managed to match a face to the voice.

Holding his breath, he stared intently at the back of the man’s head, taking in the light swirl of light brown hair, slender shoulders and pale skin.

Was that really him? The man his own agency deemed “too dangerous to approach”? His orders were to observe from afar if he ever encountered anyone from the opposing side, but Yami was pretty sure that the brown-haired man was also here for the artifact, and the fact that the other agency had sent their best agent was saying something about the seriousness of this mission.

Yami narrowed his eyes at the man, wishing he would turn around, but to his annoyance, he floated into a social circle with ease, shaking hands with the museum curator, almost as if they were close friends.

Gathering his courage, Yami waited until the tall brown-haired agent walked away before he dashed over to the curator and quickly introduced himself to her.

“Thank you for hosting this event in your space,” Yami said awkwardly, holding his hand out stiffly, and she shook it warmly, her green eyes sparkling.

“Please enjoy yourself,” she said warmly, her gaze drifting to the left, looking disinterested, and Yami quickly asked, “The man earlier…is he your friend?”

“Oh, Mr. Billionaire Seto Kaiba? No, definitely not,” she said airily, waving a hand casually over her nose and laughing. “He’s a strange one, isn’t he?”

Yami nodded mindlessly, no longer listening.  
His heart thundered with triumph.  
The mystery agent’s name was Seto Kaiba.  
Well, it wasn’t his real name, but it was _a_ name.

He spotted the crop of brown hair at the far end of the room and he quickly excused himself, making a beeline directly towards Seto Kaiba just as the auctioneer rang a tiny bell at the podium, signaling the start of the auction.

Cursing, Yami made his way to his seat. His date joined him at his side, flushed with excitement, and she smoothed her dress out when she sat down, smiling.

Smiling emptily in return,  he heard a giggle at his other elbow, so he turned to see who was sitting on his other side.  
  
His stomach dropped to the ground when he realized it was…Seto Kaiba, and he was…the most handsome man he had ever laid eyes on.

He had high cheekbones paired with wonderfully sharp blue eyes which slanted up at the corners when he smiled, a brilliantly charming smile, holding his hand out for a shake.

“Good luck,” he said, and Yami blinked rapidly, his mouth going dry as he reached out and accepted the handshake, his skin tingling strangely when they touched.

The auctioneer tapped the microphone and began welcoming everyone with an announcement.

Throwing caution to the wind, Yami leaned closer and whispered to Kaiba, “ _What item are you bidding on today…Mr.Billionaire?”_

There was a soft pause in the auctioneer’s speech, and everyone began applauding.

Frozen with shock, Kaiba blinked rapidly and did not clap.  
  
After hearing the man beside him speak, and it took all his effort to remain calm.  
This was a voice he recognized after having heard it a million times over a recording, but never until now did he have a face to match to the name.  
Wasn’t this man…who they called the ‘magician’?  
An agent who was so skilled and covert, he seemingly could make people, and things, disappear?

Perhaps this artifact was more valuable than he had anticipated…!

Kaiba waited until the applause died down and for the auctioneer to begin speaking before he whispered in return, _“The same thing you’re after…but it already has my name on it.”_

Yami grit his teeth, his stomach churning. He watched the auctioneer’s assistant hold up a tiny statue, and the bidding began quickly.  
That was not the item.

“…Going twice…sold! For three-hundred thousand pounds to the young lady in row B2, paddle number 54, please write that down dear…” the man handed the statue off to another gloved assistant, and Yami took this chance to lean towards Kaiba to hiss at him.

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_

Kaiba decided not to dignify that with an answer and applauded politely with everyone else. He had gotten a peek at the order of items being sold, and the one he was after was next, and if he wanted to beat the agent sitting right next to him, he needed to be at his best.

“Next, we have something of questionable authenticity,” the auctioneer said slyly, holding up a laminated page encased in a glass frame. “A page…from the book of life—"

Kaiba raised his hand instantly before the auctioneer could take his next breath, “Two million.”

“Five,” Yami retaliated, rising to his feet and pointedly keeping his gaze facing forward. If he looked at Seto Kaiba…his emotions would rise, and he didn’t need that distraction right now.

“Eight,” Kaiba raged, also standing and finally getting a good look at his rival, his anger melting almost immediately when he laid eyes on the prettiest man he had ever seen in his life. He had delicate features—plump limps, angular violet eyes, and wild spiky hair which added to his strange but intriguing aura.

“Ten,” Yami said coolly, waving his paddle playfully at the auctioneer’s assistant, who giggled and blushed.

“Fifteen,” Kaiba hissed, giving Yami another solid glare, somehow finding himself unable to take his eyes off of the spiky-haired man beside him. He was considerably shorter, but commanded so much attention. How?

Yami tucked his tongue between his teeth and chewed lightly, wondering if he was in trouble. Was Kaiba’s billionaire status part of his cover? Or was it who he really was when he wasn’t working a job?  
The file contained so little information, and the agency had given him a cap of twenty million, a total which they were quickly about to surpass.

“Going once for fifteen million pounds, to the man in—”

“Twenty,” Yami said coldly, raising his hand again, and throwing Kaiba a look, realizing instantly that was a mistake when he was given a sly but handsome smirk.

“I’m not playing around anymore,” Kaiba said easily, turning to face the auctioneer, wondering why the stupid page was worth so much. “Fifty-five.”

Yami’s ears rang with a strange sound, growing weak all over when the auctioneer’s voice grew tinny, “Going once for fifty-five million pounds…any other takers?”

No…impossible.

“Going twice for fifty-five million pounds to the gentleman in….”

Outbid.  
Outbid! By a man his agency had nicknamed the “blue-eyed dragon”?! Ridiculous!

“Sold!”  
  
The room rang with tumultuous applause and Yami sat down slowly, his knees weak. He felt a reassuring pat on his arm from his date, and he kept his head held high even though he was fuming on the inside.

Who the hell had that much money to throw at an unverified, rotting piece of paper?

“I told you,” Kaiba said, smirking and giving the spiky-haired man beside him a playful nudge. “Already had my name on it.”

Tense with a mixture of envy and rage, Yami whispered back, “Meet me in the hallway,” and he stood quickly, politely edging out from the row and making his way to the exit.

Time to re-negotiate.

Kaiba slowly rose from his seat, giving his date a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder before edging out of the row to follow the alluring spiky-haired agent.

He could feel eyes on his back as he hurried to the exit, and he stepped into the hallway, seeing Yami leaning casually against the wall, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Swallowing thinly, Kaiba remained composed and put on his best face, striding over to the agent and holding his hand out in a friendly shake again, “Let me introduce myself again.”

“Don’t bother,” came the cold reply, “I don’t care to know your real name. Give me the artifact. You don’t need it.”

Kaiba slowly lowered his hand and threw a furtive glance behind himself, leaning closer to the spiky-haired agent to whisper, “I do need it, because I’m a person who follows through with my promises. And who the hell are you?”

Yami gave Kaiba a long, silent and apprising look.

“You don’t know who I am?” Yami asked flatly, unable to keep the disappointment from creeping into his voice.

“I don’t,” Kaiba lied fervently, his cheeks burning strangely when he received another heated glare, and footsteps sounded up the hallway from behind him. “Come with me.”

He grabbed Yami by the arm before he could protest and dragged him into the men’s room, making sure to lock the door behind him with a steady _click!_

Frowning, Yami shook Kaiba off and walked into the powder area to lean against the counter, eyeing the soft couches arranged in a group on the carpeted floor as the silence rang painfully in his ears.

This man, this agent…Seto Kaiba, was a tough man to figure out. What would he give this man in exchange for the item? Perhaps he could propose a trade and take the item after Kaiba was done with it.

Before he could speak, Yami found Kaiba towering over him with a gleam in his eye.

“Tell me your name,” Kaiba demanded, his mind humming with a strange sound. He couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t take his eyes off of his pretty, spiky-haired man. His eyes were so beautifully shaped, and they were lined with a dark color.

Blinking rapidly, Yami took a step back, eager to put distance between them before he answered, “Call me…Yami.”

“And you can call me Aristotle,” Kaiba sneered, advancing on Yami again, pleased to see that his spiky-haired rival was running out of space behind him. “That’s not your name.”

“It is my name,” Yami replied indignantly, his panic rising steadily when his back hit the counter behind him, and he turned around to see his own face reflected in the vanity mirrors on the wall.  
Trapped.  
Seto Kaiba had been backing him into a corner the whole time!

“Well, okay, then _Yami…_ ” Kaiba said slowly, his eyes raking intrusively down Yami’s chest and eyeing his belt buckle.  
He felt his tongue itch strangely and a strange scene flashed in his mind.  
This spiky-haired man…with his mouth half-open, panting with desire with one hand shoved down his pants.  
  
Yami’s cheeks burned as he stared intently into Kaiba’s blue eyes which looking strangely empty for a second before he snapped back to reality.

“What?” Yami snapped, folding his arms protectively across his chest, feeling dangerously naked. “You want my real name? I’ll tell you…if you give me the artifact.”  
  
“No,” Kaiba breathed, reaching a hand out slowly to rest it on Yami’s shoulder, waiting to see if his rival would flinch. He did not. His violet eyes narrowed slightly, still glaring heatedly at him, sending a wonderful tingle down his spine.

“Masturbate in front of me, and you can have whatever you want.”

Yami’s heart froze mid-beat, and Kaiba’s hand on his shoulder turned icy, the cold seeping quickly through his blazer and spreading like wildfire through his entire body, rooting him to the spot.  
  
_What?_

He gazed steadily into Kaiba’s face, waiting for him to burst out laughing and tell him it was all a joke, but no, Kaiba’s expression remained serious.  
What’s more, his pale cheeks were flushed pink with anticipation.

“Anything I want,” Yami said boldly, reaching down his front and unhooking his belt with ease, doing his best to hide his surprise. “I could even drive off the lot with your car, if I wanted that?”

“If that’s what you want,” Kaiba replied faintly, his ears ringing with shock while he watched Yami unbutton his slacks and ease the zipper down without hesitation.

H-Holy shit. This guy was really going to do it!

“Deal,” Yami smirked.

Bracing himself, he took a deep breath and shoved his hand down his pants to grab his flaccid length, still gazing steadily into Kaiba’s clear blue eyes, he moved his hand and gave himself a steady stroke, feeling himself grow bigger until the tip poked uncomfortably against the cloth of his underwear. 

Fascinated and aroused, Kaiba lowered his gaze and watched Yami pull his underwear down half-way, teasingly exposing the of half of his dick while he gave himself steady up and down strokes, causing the head to disappear every time the back of his hand covered it.

“All the way down,” Kaiba hissed, reaching forward boldly and yanked his rival’s underwear down his knees, seeing a trickle of shock flit across his pretty face for a brief moment before he composed himself and continued pleasuring himself.

Kaiba’s breathing grew shallow. He kept his eyes fixated on Yami’s hand wrapped around his shaft, moving up and down steadily, and he risked a glance upwards, his stomach churning strangely at the sight of his rival with his eyes half-lidded and his mouth parted. This was…exactly how he had pictured it!

Excited, he rose to his feet and pressed his lips against Yami’s without thinking, feeling his rival stiffen and gasp into the kiss.

Holding his breath, Yami found it was difficult to keep his eyes open as Kaiba kissed him deeply and pressed him up against the counter with a boner poking him hard on his thigh.

His body was oddly hot, and everything had faded away into a wonderful, golden haze. Kaiba’s scent was unique and overwhelming. Kaiba’s lips were warm against his, and the way his silky tongue padded along his lower lip caused his dick to leak wetly into his own hand as he continued to stroke himself until he shuddered with pleasure and came thickly, his semen dripping down his knuckles.

Breathing heavily, Kaiba took a step back and took a mental snapshot of Yami splayed out before him, looking lustful with his shirt buttons undone along with the fly of his pants where a boner was still peeking out happily.

“The artifact,” Yami growled, composing himself and edging towards the sink to clean himself off. “Keep your word.”

“Of course,” Kaiba said lightly, managing a weak smile while his lips burned wonderfully with a strange tingling. That kiss…had been electrifying.

Nodding stiffly, Yami bent over the sink and began cleaning himself up, hearing Kaiba exit the powder room.

Letting the warm water wash the semen off his fingers, he gazed at his own flushed expression in the brightly lit mirrors, feeling his own heart pounding excitedly.

That had been strangely arousing. If he crossed paths with Seto Kaiba ever again, Yami knew that his next personal mission was going to be: bag and tag Seto Kaiba for himself.

* * *

**Author’s note:**

requested by the lovely stellar-chrondite! come give me [some prompts on tumblr!](https://uglifish.tumblr.com/post/186339046744/hi-friends-this-is-a-thing-thats-happening-i)

hugs,  
Ugli


	12. CARELESS WISHES [violetshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joey isn’t careful with his single wish (Bad Things Happen Bingo Board)

Joey tossed a coin into the fountain and clapped his hands together in front of his face, rubbing them together viciously with his eyes closed.

_I want to wake up next to the person I love the most every day._

“You dork,” Anzu said playfully, giving him a nudge. “What are you, five? Still wishing in fountains?”

“It works,” Yugi added amicably in Joey’s defense, “Let’s go. We’re late.”

“One more time,” Joey insisted heatedly, clapping his hands together again and chanting his request silently.

  _I want to wake up next to the person I love the most every day._

“Yeah, okay, we’re leaving,” Anzu rolled her eyes, and pulled Yugi away from the fountain.

Joey opened his eyes and stared into the crystal-clear blue water, reminding him vaguely of Kaiba, and he grit his teeth, annoyed with himself for even thinking about that jerk head.  
  
Who did he love the most?  
Joey decided he didn’t know, but that was the best wish he could come up with, and he had been wishing it for a long time.  
Happy life with a happy wife, or something like that, right?

* * *

Joey rolled over sleepily in bed, enjoying the warmth of the heavy comforter over his legs.    
The warm scent of baked bread and fresh coffee wafted through the air, waking him up pleasantly, and he cracked an eyelid open, seeing a blur of light brown hair splayed messily on the pillow beside him.

He closed his eyes again, thinking he was dreaming, but then, there was a soft movement underneath the sheets, and a slender leg brushed up against his shin.

Joey’s eyes shot open and he sat up so fast, the bed dipped violently, and his head spun with confusion.

Kaiba felt Mokuba jump on the bed, and it woke him up instantly.

Growling, he turned over and found himself staring at an unfamiliar pair of knees. His gaze traveled upwards and Joey Wheeler was sitting awkwardly beside him…in his bed.

They both let out a yell, and Joey tumbled clumsily out of the bed while Kaiba hastily detangled himself from the sheets and moved to safety behind his desk, his heart thundering in his chest.

“Get out!” Kaiba shouted, but Joey was already picking his shirt up off the floor, almost tripping over his own two feet in his haste to leave.

Joey stumbled down the stairs blindly, gripping the marble handrail, reeling at the finery around him. W-Where the fuck…why was he in the Kaiba mansion?!  
When did he get here?

At the bottom of the stairs, a greying manservant was holding a silver tray while gaping at him. Joey felt his cheeks burn as he dashed past Isono and out the double-wide doors, his feet taking him all the way to the edge of the property where he quickly climbed the security gate without a moment’s hesitation.

Inside the mansion, Kaiba pressed a hand to his chest, gasping for breath as he watched the tiny figure of Joey scale his gate and disappear off his property.  
Holy shit. What the fuck was that?!

* * *

That night, Kaiba fell into bed, exhausted. This morning had been a surreal nightmare. The blond mutt was clearly trying to prank him for some reason or another. Deciding not to dwell on it any further, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

That night, Joey lay wide-awake in bed, wondering if he had been cursed, or if it was a mischievous God misinterpreting his wish.  
  
Chalking it up to a fluke, he rolled over in bed and buried himself underneath the covers, making sure to set his alarm early for his part-time job.

* * *

Kaiba heard his phone buzzing on his nightstand, and he reached for it sleepily. His fingers brushed over a soft head of hair, and he frowned, still keeping his eyes tightly closed.

“Mokuba…you’re getting too old for this,” Kaiba said tiredly, and he froze when he realized Mokuba was a lot bigger beside him than he usually was. And…his scent was oddly sweet.

Cracking his eyes open, Kaiba found himself staring at a crop of messy blond hair. A soft breath was grazing across his bare chest with every deep exhale, and his legs were trapped between…Joey Wheeler’s legs.  
Again?!

Instantly awake, Kaiba shoved Joey off of him and heard a solid thump as the man tumbled off the bed and gazed sleepily up at him, his brown eyes widening with confusion which quickly morphed into fear.

“K-Kaiba?!” Joey cried, his knees stinging from his rough landing, and his shirt caught him in the face.

“Get...the fuck…out of my house!” Kaiba shouted himself hoarse, and felt his cheeks burn so much, his eyes watered as he tried his best not to stare at Joey’s bare chest. Why was this happening?

Cursing to himself, Joey slung his shirt over his shoulder and dashed out of the room, resolving to go back to the fountain to revoke his stupid wish.  
Kaiba wasn’t the one he loved the most. Whose idea was that?  
If anything, Kaiba was the one he found the most annoying, and it seemed the feeling was mutual.

* * *

Joey stood in front of the same fountain and tossed a coin into the water, hearing it land at the bottom with a cheery _plomp!_

He clapped his hands together and shut his eyes, chanting his wish repeatedly with all his might.

_I wanna wake up in my own bed. I wanna wake up in my own bed._

He opened his eyes and gazed down at his own distorted reflection.  
There. That ought to do it.

Satisfied, he went home.

That night, he lay stiffly in bed, wondering if he should stay awake just to see if the reverse-wish had worked. Deciding to try, Joey grabbed his phone and tapped it on, aiming to watch videos to keep his eyes open.

* * *

Kaiba shivered in his sleep and hunched up underneath the thin sheets. His toes were freezing. Deciding to turn up the thermostat, he reached for his phone and found it beside his head.

The shape was different.

Curling his fingers around the phone, Kaiba pried his eyes open sleepily and found himself in a very dark and unfamiliar room. Lumps of clothes lay scattered everywhere. Everything was messy. In fact, it wasn’t a room; it was a tiny apartment.

Panicking, Kaiba searched the sheets for his phone, his fingers brushing against a now-familiar soft crop of hair.

Joey woke up instantly and sat up, his heart pounding thickly in his chest as he stared at Kaiba sitting upright in bed next to him, in the dark, looking beside himself with humiliation and fury.

Oh…crap.

* * *

Joey leapt out of bed and ran to the light switch, flicking them on and leaning against the wall with breathless incredulity.

The wish…had backfired again!  
He had wished to wake up in his own bed, and here he was, but now, Kaiba was in his bed!

Kaiba swayed on the spot and slowly slid off the futon, his mind spinning with nausea and confusion, taking in clutter around him. Had he been poisoned? Drugged? How could he not remember how he got here?

There had to be an explanation.

Unable to stand, Kaiba glared at Joey from the futon, gripping the sheets with white knuckles. “You. What the fuck did you do to me?!”

“N-Nothin’!” Joey cried, making a dramatic X motion across his chest while shaking his head fervently. “I wouldn’t’ve even let you in!”

“Then why am I here?” Kaiba breathed, feeling very close to exploding. “Was I drunk? Did you drug me? Whatever this prank is you’re playing, it stops now.”

Joey blinked emptily at Kaiba, his heart skipped terrified beats in his chest at the way the CEO was glaring at him. His light brown hair was wonderfully messy, and he looked uncharacteristically...handsome.

Shaking his head frantically again, Joey backed against the wall and eyed the kitchen, wishing he had cleaned up a bit before…this. Did he know this was going to happen?

“Answer me!” Kaiba hissed, his entire body burning with humiliation as the warm, sweet scent of Joey’s musk rose from the sheets, stifling him terribly. The blond seemed to be just as stunned and did nothing but gape at him.

After a long silence, Joey finally found his voice.

“You-You wouldn’t believe me…if I told you,” he said weakly, sagging against the wall beside the light switch. “Ya’see…I threw a coin in a fountain—”

“Irrelevant,” Kaiba interrupted coldly, understanding that he wasn’t going to get a straight answer. All the feeling finally returned to his limbs and he extracted himself from the thin futon, hating everything he saw as he moved to the door with aching slowness.

Maybe this was a nightmare. A bad dream. Purgatory. Something had happened, and he had died. This was his punishment. He was doomed forever to wake up next to the blond mutt.

Relieved to find his shoes by the door, Kaiba stabbed his feet into them without bothering with the laces and left quickly.

“Well fine, don’t say I didn’t try to tell ya!” Joey called after Kaiba’s disappearing form, and the door slammed in his face.

Sighing heavily, Joey sat down and gazed up at the low ceiling, and then at the mess in his apartment. Well…if Kaiba was going to be waking up here every morning, maybe the least he could do to make it more bearable was to keep it clean.

But he had to go this part-time, so the cleaning would have to happen later today.

* * *

Kaiba stood on the street corner, feeling oddly naked. He was wearing last night’s clothes he’d fallen asleep in because he had been too tired to change, and now he was thankful he hadn’t changed.

People passing by on their bikes with their morning deliveries were giving him strange stares. Seto Kaiba, standing on a street in this part of Domino…alone. Humiliating.

He slipped his phone out and tapped it furiously, wishing Isono would hurry the fuck up with the car, and to his horror, he realized he had Joey’s phone.

His blood ran cold, and the phone buzzed in his hand with Isono’s response, _“Master Kaiba, another new number? I’ll be there soon.”_

Thinking he would keep the phone out of pure spite, Kaiba stuck it in his pocket and nervously adjusted his wrinkled shirt collar. Composure. He would not slip up and admit that Joey’s pranks were getting to him.

* * *

Joey flopped down onto his freshly aired-out futon and ached all over. Every surface in the apartment was sparkling clean.

The laundry had been done, both sets of comforters had been aired out, the floor had been swept, the TV had been wiped, the bathroom had been scrubbed, and the kitchen was spotless.

Now…came the dreaded wait until morning.

 _Why’m I even bothering for that jerk?_ Joey grumbled to himself, sitting up slowly and gazing down at his sock-clad feet.

Standing quickly, he decided to take a shower and forget about it. Maybe the wish only worked for one week. Or maybe, the wish would stop working once the magic realized they hated each other.

* * *

Kaiba eased himself underneath the sheets, feeling his body burn from Isono’s concerned gaze at his side.

“Master Kaiba, I—”

“Don’t care. I said, triple security, and someone is awake to watch the feeds,” Kaiba fumed, thinking he would not be pranked again tonight.

“Yes sir,” his manservant mumbled quietly and bowed out of the room.

Kaiba laid down and gazed up at the warmly-lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling, his head spinning with exhausting. His eyelids were already growing heavy.

 _If I see that mutt’s face one more damn time,_ Kaiba thought drowsily, and he closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply, feeling himself relax into a light sleep.

Suddenly, a warm, familiar scent of something sweet drifted past his nose, and Kaiba grit his teeth, realizing he had fallen asleep, and…was Joey beside him again?

Not wanting to find out the hard way, he rolled over onto his side and kept his eyes stubbornly shut, shivering from the cold.  
  
The sheets were thin, and his feet were peeking out at the ends again, and he could feel the edge of a ratty futon against his ankles.

Fuck.  
Fuck everything.

Forcing himself awake, Kaiba pried his eyes open tiredly and was met with a now-familiar messy crop of blond hair, inches from his nose.

Thunking his head back down onto the pillow with a stiff _plof!_ Kaiba shut his eyes again and cursed silently.

Joey was fast asleep, blissfully unaware that Kaiba was once again in his bed.

Kaiba felt around his pillow for his phone, cursing again when he couldn’t find it, so he stole Joey’s phone after finding it wedged between both of their pillows.

He clicked it on and stared at the time on the screen.  
9:03 AM  
Oh…shit. He was fucking late.

Sitting up quickly, Kaiba grit his teeth, hating that he was still in his pajamas. How the hell did Joey get him up the stairs and into the apartment all while he was asleep? Was it a drug?

Deciding to think about it later, Kaiba hastily tapped ‘1 2 3 4’ as the password for Joey’s phone as a haphazard guess and was pleased that it unlocked instantly. Typical stupid blond.

He sent Isono a frantic text and threw the covers off of himself, rushing into the bathroom for a shower, thinking he would come out just when Isono arrived.

Joey rolled over sleepily and heard water running. He frowned, and briefly fell back asleep. Everything was soft, and warm, and smelled like roasted coffee.

Roasted…coffee?

Joey’s eyes sprang open and he gazed at the empty spot on the bed beside him. The covers had been shoved aside, and his phone was lying innocently on the pillow. Oh…no!

Snatching his phone up, Joey noticed a text sent to an unknown number.

_“Fuck! I’m somhow back at the mutt’s apartment again/ late for a meeting. Bring change of clothes for next three days.”_

Frozen with confusion, Joey heard the water shut off as he read the message again. Why would Kaiba ask for three days of clothes? Was he planning on staying? Who the fuck said he could stay?!

That fucking entitled bastard! Joey’s rage reared its ugly head and he jumped to his feet just as Kaiba stepped out of the shower in a thick cloud of steam, fully naked.

The CEO’s skin glistened with paleness and his hair was still dripping wet, matted handsomely across his forehead.

Joey let out a yell and covered his eyes, picking up a pillow and tossing it at where he thought Kaiba would still be standing.

Kaiba dodged the sailing pillow with a simple side-step and glared. “Give me a towel. I’m not using the one that you touched.”

“Yeah…I will, sheesh!” Joey cried, scrambling over to his dresser and frantically digging out a fresh towel and tossing it over his head, not caring if it would touch the floor.

To his surprise, the towel was snatched out of his hands and he could hear soft rustling as Kaiba dried himself steadily.

Crouching over his dresser drawer, Joey gazed down at the clothes in it and felt his ears burn terribly with embarrassment.

He had seen…Kaiba’s everything that one moment!  
He had seen his slender shoulders, his sculpted abs, his impossibly long, skinny legs, and…his penis.

“What the fuck is the matter with you?” Kaiba growled, wondering what the fuck had gotten into the mutt. He was usually loud, yelly, and shameless.  
Had coming out of the shower naked startled him?

“I…j-just…nothing,” Joey, curled his fingers in over the edge of his drawer and rocked back and forth nervously on his heels. “Put on some clothes.”

A firm knock sounded at the door, and Joey jerked his head up in surprise, accidentally catching another glimpse of Kaiba’s crotch again before he lowered his head in anger. Was Kaiba doing this on purpose to piss him off?

“Go fetch,” Kaiba sneered, folding his arms across his chest and stepping aside to let Joey through. “Those are my clothes.”

Gritting his teeth in anger, Joey brushed past Kaiba to answer the door, and when he did, he was unsurprised to see Isono standing there with his arms full of suits wrapped in plastic, still on their hangers.

Snatching the bundle of suits from Isono, Joey tossed them into his hallway and grabbed his cigarettes, intent on staying outside until Kaiba was done invading his privacy in his own home.

Kaiba heard the door slam and paid no mind. He swept his suits off the floor and quickly got dressed, deciding to hang the rest into the barren closet by the door. The mutt didn’t seem to own any coats that went into it, so it was perfect for his own stuff.

He checked his reflection in the mirror by the door and hated how disheveled he looked. Whatever. He could fix it when he used an actual human-sized bathroom in his office, and not this dingy closet-excuse for a bathroom in this run-down dump which was supposedly a home.

Since Isono was here, maybe he could ask the old man to bring some other essentials over, just in case this prank was going to turn into a never-ending war of wills.

Joey was sitting on the curb, and he took a long drag on his cigarette, hearing footsteps behind him. He ignored them and was unsurprised to see Kaiba, fully dressed in his usual pressed suit with his hair slightly disheveled as he made his way to the limousine parked by the road.

“Don’t forget, I’m making dinner at seven!” Joey called mockingly, trying to imitate a nagging housewife. “Better come home on time or I’ll lock you out!”

Kaiba grit his teeth and said nothing, deciding to keep his dignity with silence.

He threw himself into the backseat of his limo and received a concerned glance from Isono in the rearview mirror.

“Master Kaiba…” Isono began, “Is everything…alright?”

Kaiba rolled his eyes and ignored this question. “Drive. And I’ll text you a list of stuff to pack. Bring it here and leave them by the door. Oh and…” he tossed a set of keys into the seat beside him.

“Make a copy of these.”

“Very well,” Isono answer mildly, secretly wondering what game Seto Kaiba was playing now. Whatever it was, the young master was…well, young, and this behavior endearing to witness.

* * *

That night, Joey did try to cook dinner, but failed spectacularly, managing to burn the food so badly, it smelled foul and stuck to the bottom of the pan in a black lump.

He swore he was doing it for himself, but another part of him was nervous that Kaiba would actually show up.

Cursing, he tossed the pan into the sink and stripped off his shirt. The smoke was stinging his eyes and made everything reek. He was going to hear about this tomorrow morning, and it was going to be hell.

Also, the image of Kaiba’s toned upper body hovered in the front of his mind every time he blinked, and Joey swore he would pay Kaiba back with the same treatment tomorrow. He just had to wake up early enough.

* * *

That night, Kaiba tossed and turned, feeling cold and uncomfortable in his own bed and hating the fact that every time he closed his eyes, he would see a mess of blond hair splayed across the pillow beside him.

Why was that stupid blond haunting him so much? Yes, he was annoying, in an almost endearing way, but still…annoying!

He opened his eyes and gazed up at his high ceiling, listening to the low hum of the air purifier beside his head, and sighed heavily. The air quality in the mutt’s so-called living space was probably terrible.  
  
Kaiba contemplated buying one for Joey before he shook the idea out of his mind grumpily and shut his eyes again, willing for sleep to come. He shouldn’t care too much for someone so poor. Nothing good would come of it.

* * *

Joey felt his phone buzzing underneath his ear and reached a sleepy hand under his pillow to silence it, his eyelids aching from exhaustion.

It felt like he hadn’t slept at all. How did someone wake up at 5AM? It was inhumane.

Sitting up slowly in the dark, Joey yawned sleepily and absently patted the spot beside him, feeling a stiff hip bone, and he hastily withdrew his hand. Ah…shit. It looked like the stupid magic was still in effect.

Well, time for payback.

He rose to his feet and dragged himself into the shower, wondering if he was torturing himself willingly, or if he was stuck in an eternal loop.

Kaiba frowned deeply in his sleep and shivered, hating how he was always waking up cold. He could hear water running, and an odd stench was in the air. Wrinkling his nose sleepily, Kaiba rolled over onto his side, cursing silently in his mind.  
Yes, this was indeed the mutt’s apartment, and he was right about the air.

Bolting upright, Kaiba grit his teeth in frustration, hating how dark everything was. Did this guy never hear of lights? Or even a nightlight?

Rising slowly to his feet, Kaiba tentatively felt around for the walls, or a light switch…anywhere. The only sliver of light was coming from a set of cheap black-out curtains, and the sun had barely risen. What time was it?!

Hating everything, Kaiba finally managed to reach a wall, and he inched his palm across his, finally grazing over a pair of light switches.

Joey exited the bathroom just as Kaiba managed to flick the lights on, and they gaped at each other for a long moment, speechless.

Joey stood his ground and willed himself not to react, but he could already feel his ears burning with embarrassment as he regretted coming out naked.

Kaiba’s knees weakened while he stared at Joey’s bare chest, his eyes slipping down lower…lower as he was unable to help himself from staring.  
He would’ve never imagined Joey looking like this under his clothes.  
He was…fit! Muscular!  
And…even flaccid, was his…bigger?!

“Put on…some clothes,” Kaiba said hoarsely, wondering where his voice had gone, and he forcefully pried his eyes away from Joeys groin, his cheeks burning with a mixture of curiosity and shame.

“Nah,” Joey said carelessly, flinging the damp towel over his shoulder and shaking the wet hair out of his eyes. “My house, my rules.”

“Oh...really,” Kaiba hissed, balling his hands into fist as his temper flared quickly. “You call this a house?”

“If you hate it so much, stop showin’ up here,” Joey shot back venomously, his blood boiling equally as fast. “And did you steal my keys? I couldn’t find ‘em anywhere—”

Kaiba brushed past Joey and threw himself into the bathroom, locking himself safely inside and took several deep breaths. Composure. He would not lose.

He stepped into the shower, dimly aware that Joey had left a spare towel on the rack for him. One of his own fluffy white towels with KC embroidered on the corners.

Ignoring the strange tightening in his chest, Kaiba figured the mutt had probably taken the liberty to go through all the stuff Isono had left on the doorstep and brought it in.

He turned the shower head and hated how weak the water pressure was, and said a small prayer, thankful that at least, the water was hot.  
  
Joey crawled back into the bed and tried his best to find sleep again, but it was useless. The image of Kaiba’s toned abs would not leave his mind, and Joey cursed aloud, wondering why he was hallucinating so much.

He snuggled deeper under the sheets and caught a whiff of freshly roasted coffee and…something else. Kaiba’s scent. Curse that guy. Why did he smell so good?

Unwittingly growing hard, Joey crossed his legs stubbornly and flipped over onto his side, hating himself. If he didn’t associate this scent with Seto Kaiba, it was…a good smell. Warm, comforting.

His hand inched down his stomach, almost as if against his own will, and he grabbed his own erection, thinking he would hurriedly masturbate before Kaiba came out of the bathroom.

In the shower, Kaiba stood under the water, carefully picking up each and every single one of Joey’s soaps and smelling them, trying to figure out where Joey’s scent of freshly baked bread came from. That couldn’t be the way he smelled, right?  
  
Growing mildly aroused, Kaiba put the shampoo down, annoyed that he was sporting a boner. If he didn’t associate that scent with Joey Wheeler, it was…a good scent.

He decided he would quickly masturbate and wash his sin down the drain as discreetly as possible.

Joey wiped his hand on his already-damp towel and quickly laid back down, hearing the bathroom door swing open coupled with loud cursing as Kaiba crashed into something with a loud clatter.

“What...the fuck!” Kaiba hissed, his toe throbbing in pain as he bent down to grip it tightly, his towel slipping from around his waist. Joey made no movement to help him and decided to remain “asleep”.

“Hey, fuckwit, get the lights,” Kaiba growled, balancing himself on one foot, knowing the mutt was faking sleep just to spite him. “Why don’t you have any lights in here? Are you an owl?”

“No,” came Joey’s muffled reply, and Kaiba thumped the wall with his fist in anger.  
  
“Get the lights!”

“Don’t do that!” Joey yelped, rousing himself and dashing to flip the lights on. “I already got two noise complaints! One more and they raise my rent! Or they kick me out!”

“Oh, really? Good!” Kaiba sneered, continuing to pound his fist against the wall, and Joey threw himself at the CEO in a fit of rage.

“Fuck…you!” Joey cried, wrestling Kaiba’s arm away from the wall while managing to give his towel a solid yank. “Stop! Just…get the fuck out!”

“Get off me then!” Kaiba shouted, giving Joey a forceful shove, hearing a loud thump as his back hit the wall beside them as he fell.

“Ow!” Joey cried, scrambling to his feet and actively trying not to look at Kaiba, who was now completely naked on the floor, glaring at him viciously with his cold blue eyes.

There was a loud pounding at the door, and Joey threw Kaiba a venomous look.

“See? Betcha that’s the neighbor.”

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba managed to stand and move towards the closet, deciding to ignore Joey for the rest of the morning and get dressed. At least he had woken up at a reasonable time today.

* * *

That night, Joey managed to sleep surprisingly well.  He drifted off immediately, trying his best not to think about how he had secretly masturbated under the sheets while Kaiba was in his shower.

Masturbating…that was a normal occurrence. He just hadn’t had a chance to touch himself because Kaiba was showing up every morning.

It was just a much-needed release of pent-up stress.

* * *

That night, Kaiba lay wide awake in bed, trying to stem the crushing feeling rising steadily in his chest with every inhale. What the fuck was wrong with him? This morning, he had secretly masturbated to the mere memory of Joey’s warm scent, and now, he couldn’t get the blond out of his mind. Was he going insane?

Closing his eyes forcefully, he let out a sigh, unable to believe that he was somewhat excited to wake up next to the mutt tomorrow morning. It was nice to have someone beside him in the early morning…even if that someone was Joey Wheeler.

* * *

The next morning, Kaiba slowly cracked an eyelid and then shut it again.

It was dark, and the familiar musky smell enveloped him warmly. He was back in Joey’s bed.

Sighing in reassignment, he shoved his hand under his pillow and resolved to go back to sleep. At least the bed was warm.

Joey pressed his forehead tightly against Kaiba’s back and dared to inhale deeply, filling his lungs with the sharp scent of coffee and his musk. Kaiba always smelled like his own brand of expensive...coffee and something else.

Whatever it was, it was arousing as hell.

He snuggled closer to Kaiba and decided to press his chin into the CEO’s shoulder, making sure to keep his breathing even after he felt Kaiba tense.

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba felt something hard press against his lower back, and he willed himself not to react. That was…exactly what he thought it was. It did feel big!

Joey pressed himself closer against Kaiba’s body and tentatively rolled his hips forward, faking a shifting movement in his sleep while he took the opportunity to rub his leaking tip against Kaiba’s lower back. His body was on fire and he ached to touch himself.

 Could he do it? Was Kaiba asleep? Would Kaiba…murder him?

His mind was clouded with arousal. Too impatient to give it a second thought, he reached his hand down and grabbed himself tightly, curling his toes in slightly in an effort to keep himself quiet.

Kaiba heard a contented sigh behind him and cursed silently. Was Joey seriously masturbating behind him?! He was! Because there were soft rocking motions and light pants. The wonderful scent of warm, baked bread and heavy musk filled the air.

Angry and frustrated that Joey was doing whatever he wanted as usual, Kaiba shifted purposefully and kicked his heel out behind him, stiffening when his ankle got trapped between Joey’s shins.

Oh…fuck.

Lost in the heated pleasure of his own hand, Joey threw caution to the wind and wrapped his arm tighter around Kaiba’s slender waist, pulling him into a firm embrace while continuing to masturbate. He knew Kaiba was awake now, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to cum with Kaiba’s expensive scent fresh in his memory and deal with the consequences later.

The base of his hand hit something warm, hard, and clothed. Without thinking, Joey reached down and grabbed mindlessly at Kaiba’s erection, hearing Kaiba let out a hiss, but remain stiffly on his side.

A clumsy hand groped his font, and Kaiba convulsed involuntarily at the sudden touch. Wh-What the fuck was this?!

Unable to move, he let Joey blindly feel him up before his hand shoved roughly down his pants, right past the band of his underwear, and heated fingers circled his dick, causing it to throb with need with every solid pump from Joey’s hand.

Shivering and shaking, Kaiba forced himself to relax, but found that he couldn’t do much, other than…enjoy it. Joey’s hand was large and oddly comforting. His thumb was rubbing feverishly at his slit with rushed inexperience, sending rough jolts of electricity running up and down his spine, and Joey’s other hand kept hitting his lower back repeatedly as he continued to pleasure himself at his own pace.

Joey felt Kaiba shifting and attempting to twist away from him, so he held on tighter, intent on finishing them both, because he was positive this was going to be his last act before his untimely death.

Keeping his eyes tightly shut, Joey gave in to a particularly strong wave of pleasure and released steadily into his hand, feeling his own semen drip down his knuckles and pool wetly behind Kaiba’s back, seeping quickly into his silk bedclothes.

…Shit.

Kaiba held his breath, his heart pounding violently in his chest the moment Joey’s hand stopped moving up and down along his crotch, and he bucked his hips shamelessly into Joey’s hand, growling, “Keep…on!”

Trapped in a haze of confusion and lust, Joey opened his eyes and stared blankly at the figure lying beside him in the dark. Wh-What?

Fed up with waiting, Kaiba shoved his own hand down his pants and forcefully wrapped his own hand around Joey’s, gripping his own dick tightly using the mutt’s hand, he stroked himself roughly, just the way he liked it, making sure to press Joey’s thumb gently into his own slit as he gave himself a lewd swirl for another searing rush of pleasure. This was how to fucking do it. Was the mutt paying attention?

Keeping his eyes tightly shut, Kaiba let the overwhelming waves of heat consume him, and he came thickly into his pants, his mind spinning and his breathing shallow.

Shocked, Joey let Kaiba do as he pleased, realizing he had probably lost his own hand forever. And that was his good hand. His fingers had somehow been cemented around Kaiba’s hardness, and they were aching.

He slowly gave Kaiba’s dick a teasing squeeze before trying to extract himself but felt Kaiba’s cold hand tighten over his knuckles threateningly.

“Were you paying attention?” Kaiba asked hoarsely, feeling his cheeks burn with a sudden rush of embarrassment. 

Joey frantically nodded and shook his head, hearing his own hair scratching loudly against the pillow in the deafening silence. Yes? No? Paying attention to what?

Kaiba heard a movement behind him and assumed Joey had nodded. Good. Clearly, the mutt was better at this than he was at dueling.

“I’m…sorry,” Joey croaked, giving his semen-coated fingers a fearful wiggle as he felt the liquid beginning to dry on his hand.

“You should be sorry,” Kaiba said coldly, smirking to himself triumphantly as he continued to keep Joey’s hand on his dick. “Stop bringing me here to this dump. What’s wrong with my place?”

There was a long silence.  
Joey slowly digested this before answering carefully, “N-Nothing?”

“Correct,” Kaiba huffed, finally releasing Joey’s hand and sitting up quickly. “The first shower is mine.”

Stunned, Joey held his semen-covered hand in the air uselessly while Kaiba stepped over his legs on the futon with alarming familiarity before shutting himself in the bathroom with a resounding click.

The sound of rushing water filled the tiny apartment, and Joey finally roused himself to clean up.

He threw on a ratty shirt and shoved his feet into his shoes, not bothering to grab keys or a jacket before he dashed out of the apartment.

The cold morning air filled his lungs as he ran down the street and made several familiar turns through the city blocks until he finally reached the tiny fountain in the middle of the deserted shopping plaza where he had first made his wish.

Patting his pockets frantically, Joey realized he had forgotten to bring his wallet.

Cursing, he clasped his hands together in a prayer and shivered from the cold.

“I wanna wake up in his bed…I wanna wake up in his bed,” Joey chanted through chattering teeth. “I’m really sorry I didn’t bring ya anything, but I’ll bring him here next time. He’s got lots of money. I’ll throw in a buncha coins—”

“Excuse me, young man.” An old woman’s voice interrupted him mid-chant.

Joey opened his eyes and whirled around frantically to face the stranger.

“Put on a jacket and wear matching shoes,” she lectured, pointing at his feet with a disapproving finger. “Walking around like that, people will think you’re homeless. Have some respect for yourself.”

“Y-Yes grandma,” Joey stammered anxiously, bending himself down into a hasty bow several times, peeking up at her frowning face to see if he had been forgiven before straightening up.

He ran off without a second glance over his shoulder and wondered if his wishing had worked.

But just in case it didn’t, he could bring Kaiba here and make him toss in a few shiny coins anyway, to repay the fountain for granting his first two wishes for only 100 yen.

* * *

Author’s note:

For lafeae

Find[ me on tumblr](https://uglifish.tumblr.com/post/186339046744/hi-friends-this-is-a-thing-thats-happening-i)  
  
-Ugli


	13. CATTY YAMI [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexy, catty Yami is trying to lure Kaiba into bed while the CEO is resolutely working.

Kaiba rolled his stiff shoulders back, wincing with pain. He had been sitting at his desk since this afternoon, and his work was _almost_ done. Keyword: almost.

He heard soft footsteps approaching from the hallway, and his door was eased open by Yami, who poked his spiky head in through the crack and grinned impishly at the CEO.

“Now, are you done?” Yami sighed impatiently, thinking he been holding back enough to a point where it was becoming unhealthy.

He had tried advancing on Kaiba this morning, but was pushed away with an annoyed hiss, and this afternoon, he had come in, hoping to pounce on Kaiba mid-conference call, but to his extreme disappointment, he was pushed away again.

Now it was getting close to midnight, and Kaiba still showed no signs of stopping.

Yami silently shut the door behind him and tip-toed to the bed, stretching himself down on it and rolling playfully over onto his back, gazing at the upside-down image of Kaiba sitting resolutely at his desk, his face emotionless as ever.

Clearly the CEO was trying to ignore him, and Yami let out a stubborn huff, flipping back onto his stomach and kicking his legs in the air, staring at the way Kaiba’s hair handsomely covered his brow, sitting just above his blue-eyes, causing him to look serious as usual.

“Kaiba…” Yami drawled, getting up on his knees and lifting the hem of his shirt teasingly, flashing Kaiba his flat, tanned stomach. “Now?”

Kaiba risked a glance up, and hurriedly looked back down at his screen, giving his head an annoyed shake.

“No.”

Sighing, Yami stripped off his shirt and threw it angrily at Kaiba, seeing it land directly onto the laptop’s screen, right under Kaiba’s nose.

Hissing in irritation, Kaiba grabbed the shirt and pushed it aside, letting it fall to the floor. Why didn’t Yami understand that the second he finished, they could play? There was time and place for work and for play.  
Right now, he was trying to work.  
Was he not being obvious enough?

“Yami—” Kaiba’s voice caught in his chest when he saw Yami rolling over sensually in his bed, and he fell silent, growing deeply aroused.  
No. He would not fall for it.  
Yami always won, and that wasn’t fair.

Smiling to himself, Yami slid his pants off halfway and kept his thighs trapped teasingly in the waistband, staying on his back while throwing his legs up in the air, giving Kaiba a full view of his exposed thighs.

“I’ll just…play by myself then,” Yami said to himself, sliding his pants down lower, and feeling his cheeks heat up wonderfully at the thought of Kaiba secretly watching him but pretending not to be interested.  
That was the most endearing aspect of Kaiba’s personality.  
His mouth was always saying one thing, but his body would react another way.

Realizing that the rapid typing had gone silent, Yami slid his pants all the way down to his ankles and held the up triumphantly, rolling his head back to grin playfully at Kaiba again.

“Do you want these to go with the shirt you have there?” the pharaoh asked innocently, throwing the pants carelessly in Kaiba’s direction, pleased to see them land on the corner of his desk and slide down to the floor.

Kaiba grit his teeth and began to sweat, feeling tense all over. Ignore. Ignore.

A pair of underwear caught him full in the face and his senses were suddenly assaulted by Yami’s bittersweet musk, and he felt himself harden instantly.

Growling silently, Kaiba whipped the underwear off of his face and threw it back at Yami on the bed, hearing Yami laugh and roll away to dodge the underwear soaring past his head.

“You…are…boring,” Yami enunciated, sitting cross-legged while fully naked atop the comforter, shamelessly giving Kaiba a full view of his front. He watched Kaiba’s face for a reaction, seeing nothing but an eyebrow twitch.

“Correction, you’ve been _getting_ boring,” Yami said, grinning slyly, knowing this would sting worse than an insult. Criticizing Kaiba’s sexual prowess was an easy way to garner a reaction.

Silence.

Now thoroughly annoyed, Yami stretched his legs out and slid one over the other, taking in Kaiba’s stiff posture at his desk. He knew that look. Kaiba was hard! It had worked!

Leaping off the bed, Yami approached the desk and reached out to slowly press the lid of Kaiba’s laptop shut, seeing Kaiba still trying to frantically type what little he could before the closing edge caught his fingers.

“I didn’t save,” Kaiba said monotonously, reaching down to pry the lid open, and Yami’s hand splayed out stiffly as forcefully he kept the laptop shut, bending down to catch Kaiba’s eye.

“Words from a boring man,” Yami declared, sitting stubbornly on the edge of the desk, wondering if he ought to slide one leg over the laptop just to get Kaiba to look him in the eye. He knew once Kaiba made eye-contact, his resolve would immediately weaken.

“Get on the bed,” Kaiba breathed, his head lowered so much, his brown bangs obscured his eyes, and Yami lit up happily, pleased to see the CEO give in so easily.

The pharaoh dashed back to the bed and gazed expectantly over his shoulder, waiting for a wonderful warmth to envelop him from behind from Kaiba tackling him down, but to his intense displeasure, Kaiba had flipped the laptop open again and was typing away, tight-lipped and stony-faced.

Furious, Yami stared heatedly at Kaiba for a long moment before he decided to switch tactics.

Eyeing gleaming ballpoint pen on Kaiba’s desk, he lunged forward to snatch it up before backing away to sit down on the edge of the bed. Yami reached down between his legs to give himself slow, steady strokes, alternating between sighing loudly and lewdly swirling his tip with his thumb, enjoying the warm threads of pleasure snaking up his body.

His tip gleamed with precum and he grinned impishly at Kaiba, reaching for the lube on the nightstand and squeezing a generous amount down his thigh, hearing the silence grow heavier each passing second.

Kaiba was watching through his bangs with his head lowered, his breathing dangerously shallow. What…the fuck…was Yami doing?!

Raising his head slightly, he decided that pretending was useless and decided to openly stare, seeing Yami coat the slim, metal pen with lube and position it over his slit. There was a tense pause before Yami began gently inserting the tip into himself, and Kaiba felt his jaw ache as he clenched it harder and harder, his stomach churning with a mixture of incredulity and arousal.

Yami’s eyes fluttered shut and he forced himself to relax, feeling his slit stretching almost painfully the more he eased the pen into the hole, and after a long moment, the pen in his hole left nothing but a dull, pleasurable ache.

Triumphant, he wrapped his hand around his shaft and gave himself several energetic strokes upwards, throwing his head back and sighing happily into his own hand.  
Now…this was fine.  
He could cum intensely with Kaiba’s eyes on him.

Kaiba blinked so rapidly, he began to see green. The last of his resolve slipped when he saw the pen wobble dangerously upright while sticking straight up from Yami’s dick, and he rose out of his seat with a low growl, advancing slowly towards the bed, his heart pounding thickly inside his chest, his mind filled with thoughts of Yami panting beneath him.  
  
The pharaoh grinned playfully at the CEO and backed up onto the bed on his elbows, shaking his head stubbornly, his chest heaving with shallow pants of excitement.  “No, Kaiba…you’ve lost your chance.”

“Shut up, you win,” Kaiba hissed, grabbing Yami’s ankle and pushing him down onto the bed firmly, enjoying the way his blonde bangs splayed prettily beneath him.

He swept his hand down Yami’s thigh, gathering the sticky lube between his fingers and shoving his finger deep into Yami’s asshole without warning, hearing Yami let out a fantastic yelp and spasm happily.

Kaiba could barely think straight while he gazed at the pen still wobbling enticingly in Yami’s dickhole, and he reached down to give the pharaoh and few spiteful pumps, watching him writhe and throw him a challenging yet lustful glare.

Rising to the challenge, Kaiba hastily unbuckled his belt and tossed it aside, inching his pants down excitedly. He pressed his underwear-clothed bulge against Yami’s lube-slicked balls and bucked his hips teasingly, his head spinning violently as he watched Yami respond in earnest and grab messily at him, almost ripping the band off from around his waist, exposing his hardness.

Breathless and eager, Yami reached up and grabbed a fistful of Kaiba’s hair, forcefully shoving his head down against his inner thigh and relishing in the hot breath grazing across his skin.

Kaiba pressed his teeth flush against Yami’s thigh and took a deep breath, letting the warm scent of sex flood his lungs fully before he gave Yami a ferocious bite, pulling away afterwards to nudge the head of his dick firmly against a tight, pink, clenching hole.

“Yes! Kaiba—!” Yami shouted and was cut off from the sudden force of penetration, and he fell silent, arching his back mightily, enjoying the hot rush of blood to his head that made his ears ring and his mind go numb.  
His body burned with a wonderful fire, and Kaiba leaned heavily into him for a kiss, his tongue slipping intrusively over the tops of his teeth and almost choking the air out of him when he wouldn’t let up, insistently sucking on the tip of his tongue while thrusting impatiently into his hole.

Please with all the noises he managed to elicit from Yami, Kaiba dragged his teeth roughly down Yami’s neck, taking in his ragged gasps and the way he was rocking his hips upwards into him with breathless need.

“Take—take it out, please…!” Yami gasped, digging his fingernails into Kaibas’ pale shoulder and riding out another low, orgasmic wave that was stifled by the pen still inserted in his slid, and Kaiba seemed to have not heard him, because his slender hands had tightened further around his hips and he was given particularly hard thrust that churned his insides.

Kaiba forced himself to slow down, barely registering the fact that the pen was still sitting in Yami’s slit, and he sneered triumphantly, giving the pharaoh’s chin a teasing bite, leaving a red ring of teeth marks in the skin, enjoying the slickness of his dick ramming incessantly into Yami’s ass.

“One more…” Kaiba insisted hazily, pressing his forehead against Yami’s chest and curling himself into Yami’s spasming body, biting down on his nipple and rocking forwards violently before reaching down to pull the pen out of Yami’s slit, hearing the pharaoh let out a grateful sigh as he shuddered with pleasure and came thickly onto his stomach between them.

Yami’s vision turned white for a long moment, his body suspended wonderfully in a pleasurable limbo as Kaiba continued to pound into him aggressively, not giving him time to recover, and he doubled over onto the mattress afte being flipped onto his side. Kaiba’s breath was sweet, and teeth found its way around the shell of his ear, coupled with a wonderful rush of hot fluids rising inside of him, and he felt Kaiba freeze for millisecond before tensing powerfully. Cold hands gripped his hips, almost as if he wanted to…continue.

“No…S-Stop…” Yami gasped, his rim chafing and burning with lube and semen that was drying too quickly.

Kaiba blinked slowly, his body still heavy with lust and his mind hazy. Really? Because he could still keep going.

“Kaiba…stop!” Yami cried, kicking out awkwardly, hearing the CEO let out a hearty laugh behind him as he extracted himself smoothly and collapsed beside him, panting softly.

“Now you want me to stop?” Kaiba grinned, pressing a hand to his sweaty brow, his balls aching with pent-up arousal.  
  
He pressed a soft kiss against the back of Yami’s neck, which was also damp with sweat, and he smiled to himself, thinking that this time…he had won.

* * *

Author’s note:

thank you jenicorn! This was super arousing hueheuhe

hugs,  
Ugli

 


	14. ROYAL GIFT [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba receives a rare and exotic gift from his royal vizier, Pegasus, and the gift is hard to refuse.  
> Warning: dark themes, BDSM, dubious consent

“My boy,” Pegasus purred, striding into the throne room followed by a large clothed cage on wheels and several men flanking it. “Happy birthday. I’ve got you something!”

The wheels clattered loudly across the stone floor and Kaiba narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the black curtain covering the golden bars.

His vizier had that gleam in his eye, which meant that he had something up his sleeve.

“What is it?” Kaiba sighed irritably.  
He had specifically put out a blanket order across the palace, insisting that his birthday was not something to be celebrated or even acknowledged, therefore, he was not in the mood for any gifts.  
Birthdays were not important.  
They were annoying and only a reminder that time was passing in a meaningless blur.

“I think you’ll want to open this in your room,” his vizier smiled slyly, clapping his hands loudly together and commanding the guards to wheel the cage towards the royal quarters.

Kaiba watched them go wearily, wondering what it was.  
A tiger? A leopard? A lion?  
Either way, boring. He wouldn’t be able to play with it unless it was properly trained, and even then, wouldn’t a dog be preferable?

Rising to his feet, Kaiba followed the guards into his living quarters and dismissed them with a careless wave.

He listened to their footsteps shuffling away and folded his arms across his chest, sweeping his gaze across the enormous cage, eyeing the golden tassel hanging enticingly from the side.

“Well!” Pegasus cried suddenly from behind, giving Kaiba a small fright. “I’ll leave you to it!”

And the door swung shut with an ostentatious bang, leaving Kaiba standing in his own bedroom in the ringing silence.

He circled the cage once before reaching for the tassel and giving it a solid yank.

The black cloth cascaded down to his feet, revealing a person sitting in the middle, bound and gagged with thick leather strips.

Frozen with shock, Kaiba cursed Pegasus in his mind before taking in the sight before him again fully.

He was…beautiful! His hair was an eruption of three different colors—red, gold and black. His skin was the color of melted chocolate, flawless and smooth. He had well-muscled arms which were decorated with thin gold bands which were barely peeking out from beneath the leather straps and his eyes…oh his eyes!

Kaiba’s breath caught tightly in his chest as he stepped closer to the cage, deeply captivated by the glowing pair of angular violet eyes lined dark with kohl that was smudging at the corners due to…tears?

The man blinked again, his eyes wide with shock and they moistened dangerously at the corners again with unshed tears.  
  
Yami held very still, staring at the man he had just been gifted to.  
A beautiful…royal! And he was the most striking man he had ever seen!  
He was slender, tall, with skin as white as alabaster, hair a wonderful light brown, and eyes the color of the sea.

 _I’m going to be a royal pet_ , Yami thought miserably, hating the luxury around him with his entire being, but deep down, he knew he was fortunate. He had heard terrible stories of his other friends being sold to cruel masters, and the fact that this man was only staring for now was probably a good sign.  
  
_A bed warmer! And a pretty one at that!_ Kaiba thought appreciatively, reaching forward to unlock the cage with hands that were shaking with excitement. Good and loyal Pegasus had managed to please him with a gift after all!

Shaking his head frantically, Yami edged back, away from the pale hand that was reaching for him, but to no avail. He was dragged out of the cage and across the floor, his skin skidding painfully over the cold stone, and he cried out anxiously, his voice stifled by the cruel leather gag that was painfully chafing the corners of his mouth.

Yami winced after having been thrown on the bed, and his shoulder hit the soft comforter with a thump!

He glanced up frantically, briefly taking in the large canopy hanging over his head before a handsome, grinning face hovered in his vision.

“I like you,” Kaiba said devilishly, trailing his finger down Yami’s arm, sending a terrifying shiver up his body. “I’ve never had a bed warmer before. This will be fun.”

Terrified, Yami shook his head repeatedly, fear curling deep in his chest at the thought of being brutally raped. Everything he had heard about the concept of sex was horrifying and sounded painful…especially between two men.

Kaiba reached for the gag and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Don’t you dare scream.”

 _What if I do?_ Yami thought tearfully, feeling the gag loosen around his mouth, and he gasped heavily, the corners of his mouth aching from having been stretched.

“Let’s see how well you can kiss,” Kaiba said gleefully, yanking his bed warmer upright and pressing his mouth sloppily against Yami’s, relishing in the unique sweetness of his breath and the salty tang from his tears.

Yami’s eyelids fluttered rapidly and his stomach churned with anxiety the moment their lips met, unsure of how to react. What was this? What was happening? The act of kissing?

Kaiba’s tongue slid sinfully into his mouth and ran along the underside of his teeth, exploring his mouth bravely, claiming every inch of the wet cavern as his own. Breathless with excitement, Kaiba pushed himself onto Yami harder and harder, feeling the man resist him by keeping his teeth clamped shut.

Pulling away breathlessly, Kaiba grabbed Yami by the chin and dragged his thumb down across his wet lip, growling in frustration. An unwilling bed partner? Unacceptable.

“Hey,” Kaiba hissed, giving Yami a firm shake. “Open your mouth. You are _mine_ , do you understand? Mine.”

Yami took a deep shuddering breath and composed himself before bravely saying, “I’m not yours.”

“Oh…really,” Kaiba growled, his body searing with a strange fire at these defiant words. “Well, you are now.”

He forcefully pushed Yami down onto the mattress, raking his gaze down the man’s slender form, his heart racing incredibly fast.  
  
This was…amazing! Pegasus really knew how to give good gifts, because the woman he had received last year only knew how cry, and that wasn’t any fun at all.  
  
He had untied her and let her cry in the corner for the entire night before returning her to the original owner.  
  
Now this…this man, glaring viciously at him from between his legs—this was memorable.

Yami swallowed thinly, squirming uncomfortably against his leather restraints and eyeing the man above him, growing steadily more frightened with each passing second.  
This was the end.  
Even though this man was handsome, he spoke vile words.

Kaiba leaned forward to kiss the man again, and Yami spit in his face, kicking out strongly and attempted to wiggle out from underneath him.

Furious, Kaiba wiped the spit off his cheek with his hand, glaring venomously at his toy before giving him a vicious slap across the face.

Yami gasped, his cheek stinging and burning with the slap, and he keep himself from yelling out or crying, he stared intently at a fold in the bed sheets underneath him.  
This man…was violent as he was handsome.  
How despicable!  
Royals were the absolute scum of the earth.

“Listen here…you,” Kaiba hissed, grabbing Yami’s face with one hand and forcing him to face forward, seeing his violet eyes narrowed into threatening slits. “You either cooperate, or I’ll make the rest of your stay here miserable.”

“Do you treat women like this?” Yami shot back angrily, hating the fact that he had been doomed to live a life as this man’s bed slave, and never discover the pleasures of laying with a woman.

“Wouldn’t know…never had a woman,” Kaiba answered gleefully, pressing Yami further down into the mattress by the shoulders. “I’ll slowly untie each part of you… _if_ you’re good.”

Now thoroughly terrified, Yami understood that this man exclusively picked men for his bed partners.  
How…sinful!  
Did this man’s kingdom know about his filthy habit?  
  
Kaiba tilted his head curiously at the man beneath him, understanding that this would be his first male experience.  
How…delightful!  
He couldn’t wait to disclose the details of this event with Pegasus.

Yami winced as a strong hand came down into his hair and tugged painfully, almost causing his eyes to water.

“Open your mouth….” Kaiba breathed, and he pressed his lips tightly against Yami’s mouth again, pleased to feel the man cooperate and part his lips, allowing him to melt wonderfully into the soft wetness. His breath…was addicting. Something about him made every exhale made his head spin and every inhale caused his erection to throb in his pants.

Tense with fear, Yami let the man do as he pleased. A soft tongue dipped down against his own and sensually licked the backs of his teeth before the man pulled away and bit down playfully against his lower lip.

Hissing in pain, Yami jerked his head back, and realized this was a mistake and Kaiba dragged open-mouthed kisses down his tanned neck, flicking his tongue out tentatively to taste his skin.  
Amazing.  
Every part of this spiky-haired man was like a drug.

Yami shut his eyes tightly and cursed this man in his mind over and over. Everything hurt. His arms hurt from being bound so tightly to his body, and his ankles were chafing terribly from the leather straps.  
Also…the area around his waist hurt the most.

Stubbornly clenching his jaw shut again, Yami leaned away frantically, trying to speak through his own panting breaths, “It…hurts. You’re hurting me.”

“If it hurts from just a kiss, just you wait,” Kaiba jeered, his anger rising steadily. Why did all of his bed partners say that it hurt?  
Was he a bad lover? A rough lover?  
Or were they lying about it? Why?  
Because they hated it? Hated him?  
Either way, it was disheartening to hear, and Kaiba found that the more his bed partners cried, the worse he would feel afterwards.

“My arms…” Yami breathed, his heart pounding so fast in his chest, it began to hurt.

Kaiba’s eyes widened, and he stared at his bed partner, noticing red welts around his wrists underneath the straps.  
Fine. He would untie him…only the arms.

Yami breathed a sigh of relief the moment the leather straps loosened, and he rubbed the welts, gazing thankfully up into Kaiba’s face before looking away quickly. Handsome. Dangerously so.

“Now, your arms don’t leave my neck,” Kaiba declared, reaching down to grab Yami’s arms and draping them over his shoulders, feeling them tighten around him strongly in response.

“I’ll choke the life out of you,” Yami threatened, now thinking he could cling so hard onto this man, he would pass out. Was that possible? This man was touching him sexually. He had originally thought it would feel disgusting…but so far, it had been nothing but a mixture of excitement and dread.

“I dare you to try,” Kaiba replied simply, diving back down to drag his lips across each of Yami’s perky nipples, inhaling the unique scent of his musk and feeling himself grow even more aroused. 

Yami shut his eyes again, his heat fluttering wonderfully every time Kaiba swirled his tongue lewdly around his nipple, wincing when Kaiba dragged his teeth down his side and landed a bite on his hipbone.  
He shivered violently, his body growing hot and cold with each rough touch from the handsome man above him.  
Curse this man!  
Was it supposed to feel this way?

There was a surprising lack of struggle when Kaiba gently rested his hand on Yami’s exposed length, and Kaiba did his best to hide his surprise.  
  
Even though this spikey-haired man fought him with his words, his body remained open and responsive!

Breathless with excitement, Kaiba decided he was done being patient and gentle. He hovered above the spiky-haired man, leveling with his heated gaze, feeling his own body heat up in response.

“What is your name?” Kaiba asked before he could stop himself.  
What had possessed him to ask? He never cared for their names.  
Usually he just shipped them back the day after…because all they did was cry.

“Fuck you,” Yami replied venomously, gathering spit behind his teeth again, ready to attack, but to his surprise, the man rushed forward and pulled him into a fiery kiss. Their tongues fought for dominance and Yami bared his teeth, daringly biting the man back on the lip, his stomach churning with a mixture of excitement and fear.

  
He tasted blood and felt the man jerk his head back frantically to glare at him.

  
_Oh no._ Yami thought as he paled. Should he not have done that?

Kaiba pressed a knuckle to his bleeding lip and threw his head back to laugh heartily, his spirits soaring wonderfully.  
This was amazing. He liked this!  
This was good foreplay!

Grinning like a madman, Kaiba threw himself Yami and forcefully rolled him onto his stomach, biting his ear and giving the entire shell an enticing lick, hearing the man let out a frantic yell.

“You like biting? I’ll bite,” Kaiba gasped, pinning Yami’s arms down behind his back and licking a stripe down each bump on his spine, eliciting a delicious shiver. “Bite me again and I’ll fuck you even harder.”

Yami blinked rapidly and stilled, his heart thundering in his chest when he felt the restraints on his ankles loosening. The blood came rushing back to his toes and he sighed gratefully, gritting his teeth and biting back an angry insult.  
Fine. This man wasn’t all that vile….

A cold hand groped his buttocks and gave him a lewd spread.

Then he heard the man spit, and a thin, warm, wet sensation slid down his asscrack and pooled thinly underneath his balls.

Shivering, Yami froze, horrified.  
Then, before he could fully comprehend what was happening, a hot tongue found its way to his entrance gave his rim a lewd swirl, sending a violent jolt of lightening shooting up his entire body, his mind humming with a strange numbness.  
  
Wh-What was…happening?

Kaiba grinned and dipped his face even lower between Yami’s soft cheeks, murdering against the delicate skin, “If you wont tell me your name…I’ll get it out of you.”

Yami’s eyes watered as his dick throbbed painfully, and he retaliated with, “you’ll never get it out of me.”

“We’ll see about that,” Kaiba gracefully accepted the challenge and buried himself in newfound pleasure, enjoying the way legs came up around his head and clamped down tightly, keeping him firmly in place.

Secretly pleased, Kaiba fervently licked, sucked and tugged playfully at the skin around Yami’s hole, never once actually touching it, and Yami let out an unsatisfied hiss, his chin burning against the mattress as he remained solidly face down, growing unbearably hot all over.  
It was getting hard to breathe.  
It was like he had been drugged by a mysterious poison because he didn’t struggle at all when he was flipped over onto his side, and a pale hand wrapped around his length, giving him several torturous upward strokes, sending hot waves of pleasure snaking up through his core.

Blinded by the new sensations of pleasure, Yami wasn’t aware that Kaiba had slipped a finger up his hole.

Kaiba smiled again and gave the finger a firm thrust, shoving a second one in to give him a solid stretch, enjoying the way Yami writhed and panted, clearly not knowing what was happening, but clearly lost in every second of it.

There was a sudden pause in the waves of electricity, and Yami glanced down after he heard a soft clinking, shocked to discover his leg had been chained to the bedpost with overlaying belts.

“This next part…I have to make sure…” Kaiba swallowed thinly, his throat closing up with nervousness. “…that you don’t run away.”

Yami blinked rapidly, his mind instantly clearing as a wave of fear replaced the warmth that had been steadily building in his chest. Wh-What?!

And before he could brace himself, he saw the man free his erection and give the backs of his thighs a rude poke.

“I’m coming in here,” Kaiba said, more to himself that anything, and he pressed his head against Yami’s rim, hearing the man shout and curse at him.

“Get the fuck away from there! Fuck you! You’re vile! You’re dis—”

Kaiba rammed his thick, hot length into Yami, right up to the hilt, and felt his head spin with ecstasy from the sudden tightness of his hole.

Yami arched his back, his mouth opened in a silent scream, his body shivering and shuddering against his own will as his hole clenched and unclenched stubbornly against the foreign intrusion that was sending more violent jolts of pleasure running up and down his body, causing his legs to convulse, and his stomach churned strangely.

A fire was spreading from his stomach and engulfing him fully, warming the tips of his fingertips and searing his toes.

Kaiba held his breath and waited for tears, and when he saw none, he began to thrust relentlessly, his mind heavy with lust and his body tight with excitement. Every time he slid out, his body yearned for more, and he threw himself forward again, surprised but pleased when he saw Yami’s fingertips whiten against the sheets.

Yami’s world spun violently with every rough thrust, and he found that he could think straight anymore. His throat was dry from ragged breaths, his cheek was numb from rubbing up and down against the sheets, and his body was seizing up with pleasure every time he was entered.  
  
A small voice in the back of his mind was screaming with incredulity.

This was sex…with a man! Why did it feel this good?  
Incredible! Amazing!  
He never wanted to stop.  
  
Just as the thought left his mind, a hot rush of fluids filled his being, and Yami shuddered violently, feeling the man extract himself quickly and shove his legs aside.

“I’m finished,” Kaiba said quickly, sitting back on his heels and staring at Yami’s tanned back with a sliver of guilt. “You may cry now.”

His eyes watering, Yami’s dick throbbed painfully and he rolled himself over onto his back, gasping for breath, hating the man with all of his being. Selfish man! Only he finished!

“I haven’t….I haven’t yet,” Yami breathed, reaching down to touch himself, and Kaiba watched with rising incredulity as the man began to masturbate in earnest before him, his hand moving in quick strokes while his head was thrown back in a pleasurable abandon, lost in his own touch.

Kaiba’s mouth dropped open while he watched the spiky-haired man cum into his clenched fist and gasp excitedly, turning his head to give him a dark, mischievous smile.

“Now, I’ve finished,” Yami hissed, uncurling his hand from his dick and shaking the semen off carelessly. “You’re a shitty lover.”

Completely thrown, Kaiba gazed into Yami’s face, his heart racing a thousand beats per minute.

Wh-What an awesome bed partner!  
He was never returning this man!  
  
“I’m keeping you,” Kaiba said gruffly, moving off the bed to clean himself up, and Yami watched him go, feeling slightly apprehensive.  
  
If he wasn’t mistaken, perhaps this man was trying to be considerate in his own way.

 _I might be happy here_ , Yami thought begrudgingly, rolling over onto his back and gazing up at the embroidered canopy hanging above his head, feeling incredibly sleepy.

* * *

Author's note:

3.5k words! thank you jenicorn!  
  
xo  
Ugli


	15. BLIND DATE [prideshipping]

Oneshot for taedae

Summary: Atem and Kaiba are lured into blind dates by mischievous persons: Yugi and Mokuba. They arrive fully unaware that they are each other’s dates.

Atem was lounging lazily on the couch when Yugi came rushing down the stairs, looking strangely agitated.  
He decided to ignore it and continue watching the TV.

“Pharaoh,” Yugi said sternly, frowning at Atem’s undignified pose. “Feet off the coffee table. You’re going out tonight.”

Atem bit back a yawn and raked his fingers through his spiky blond bangs, rolling his eyes. “No, I’m not. I don’t want to go anywhere.”

“Yes, yes you are going out,” Yugi replied, running forward to shut the TV off. “You are not living life! You were given a second chance! Don’t live your second life on this couch. You don’t even duel anymore!”

Tapping his foot impatiently on the floor, Yugi recalled the horrible, awkward tension at the last duel Atem had with Kaiba at the Kaiba Mansion. He had been sitting on the couch with Mokuba, trying to clear a level on a video game while the two rivals sat at the large marble dining counter, glaring furiously at each other while their cards were all face down on the table.

 _“Don’t be such a fucking coward, no one is watching,”_ Atem had spat at the CEO, who in turn, had turned red in the face and slammed his fist down on the table. _“Who’s the coward? Your cards are all face down. Attack me, or are you scared?”_

 _“_ Your _cards are face down! Are_ you _scared?”_ Atem had retaliated angrily, and there was a long, tense silence with more staring, neither of them blinking, both steadily turning redder and redder.

Yugi snapped out of his flashback and glared resolutely at Atem, who was ignoring him with his feet still propped up on the coffee table.

“It’s a blind date,” Yugi said irritably, stepping forward to push Atem’s feet off the table. “I set it up for you. You’ll have fun. Go meet her. I texted you the address, and I called a taxi. It’ll be here in fifteen minutes. Get upstairs and make yourself look nice.”

“Aibou…you didn’t have to,” Atem said quietly, his eyes softening at the corners with gratitude. “But, no, thank you.” He turned his attention back to the blank TV screen, seeing his own reflection in it wearing a baggy black lounge shirt and a pair of ratty grey sweats.   
  
Maybe Yugi had a point…but he wasn’t looking for love.

“This is not a debate,” Yugi fumed, losing his patience. “Get upstairs now, or we’ve just wasted money on a taxi and a reservation. Go!”

Atem rolled his eyes and sighed. Yes, fine. He was going…to appease his Aibou.

* * *

“Seto!” Mokuba barged into his older brother’s room, unsurprised to see the CEO sprawled ungracefully across one of the leather lounges with his nose buried in a handheld game.

The sounds of the game trilled loudly in the room and Mokuba cleared his throat. “A _hem_ , Seto. Get up and take a shower. I got you a date.”

“No,” Kaiba answered coldly, his long fingers tapping rapidly at the buttons. What the hell was Mokuba thinking? Did he look like he was in the mood for a date? That was the last thing he wanted.

“Yes,” Mokuba shot back furiously, crossing his arms and tapping his foot against the stone floor. “It’s at a nice restaurant with food that you like.”

Seto ignored him, his eyes fixed resolutely on his screen while the game continued to blip obnoxiously in the silence.

“And…alcohol,” Mokuba added carefully, beginning to lose his patience. “Seto, get the fuck up and get dressed. Please? I really like her! It’s a blind date!”

“Aw, thanks kid, you shouldn’t have,” Kaiba said sarcastically, holding down two buttons, making a barrel explode on his screen. It rewarded him with a rare item. “Nice. Now I can go on that raid—”

The portable game was ripped out of his hands, and Kaiba blinked in surprise, seeing Mokuba standing before him with his arms crossed, looking incensed.

“Get out of the house and go meet this person,” Mokuba said furiously, stamping his foot for good measure. “Now. Why am I parenting you?”

“You’re not, definitely not,” Kaiba said hastily, easing off the lounge and walking into the bathroom, giving his brother a small smile over his shoulder before he shut the door behind himself.

He leaned against it and palmed his face in annoyance.   
He did not want to go on a blind date.   
But he would do it…for Mokuba.

* * *

Atem sat at the bar, his spirits lifting slightly at the romantic atmosphere. A live band was playing on stage, and the warm scent of delicious food wafted through the air every time a waiter walked by with a steaming plate.   
Perhaps Yugi was right. He did need to get out more.

Kaiba stepped into the restaurant and made a beeline for the bar. He froze when he spotted a familiar silhouette at the far end, and he realized with a jolt that it was Atem.

He hesitated between ordering a drink and bothering Atem before he decided on both, flagging down the bartender and pointing at the end of the bar.

Sliding into the seat beside Atem, he flashed his rival a grimacing smile.

“Hey, you.”

Atem jumped, slightly startled by Kaiba’s sudden appearance, and he raked his gaze down the CEO’s crisp outfit, appreciating the change before he replied with a simple, “Hey…you.”

Kaiba scanned Atem briefly from head to toe, noting that the pharaoh was wearing something casual but tasteful, and a pair of gold earrings he had never seen before hung elegantly from each of his earlobes.

“Gift from a fan?” Kaiba asked, pointing at his own ears before accepting the drink from the bartender. He took a sip and scanned the restaurant over the rim of his glass, searching for the girl who was going to be showing up alone as his date.

“These? No, they were a gift to myself,” Atem smiled handsomely, his teeth flashing white against his tanned complexion, and Kaiba felt his heart skip a solid beat.

“So, why are you here?” Kaiba asked gruffly, taking another aggressive sip. He found that he couldn’t stop staring at Atem’s cheekbones. They seemed to glisten under the low lights. Why was this man…glowing…?

“Yugi...forced me to get off the couch,” Atem answered reluctantly, trying his best to avoid Kaiba’s heated gaze that made his skin burn pleasantly. He glanced around the room, frantically searching for the person Yugi said would be showing up alone looking for a date.   
So far, there was no one.   
Everyone was seated in the tables as a couple, or in groups.

“Ah shit, me too,” Kaiba pressed a palm to his face, feeling his ears grow hot from the alcohol. “I was in the middle of a game.”

“I was in the middle of a…sitcom drama,” Atem replied slowly as understanding began to dawn on him, and he sat rooted in his seat, staring at Kaiba, thoroughly horrified.   
Kaiba was the one who had walked in alone! Kaiba was the one Yugi had set him up with! Did Kaiba know that?!

“Yeah well, if my date doesn’t show up soon, I’m leaving,” Kaiba growled, tossing back the rest of his drink and tapping the rim, making eye-contact with the bartender. “Refill.”  
  
_That confirms it!_ Atem thought frantically, feeling himself break out into a cold, nervous sweat. Yugi…was a little rascal sometimes!

Kaiba felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he slipped it out, the words blurring mightily across his screen as he wrapped his head around Mokuba’s text.

 **Moki:** _hey big bro, glad you made it there in one piece._  
Your date should’ve found you by now ……aaaaand check your blazer pocket.   
ta-da! I got you a room! Gyehehehe now don’t come home tonight or I’m gonna be super mad at you.   
YOU NEED THIS.   
Fix your shit with Yami.   
Yugi and I are getting tired of it.  
room 1809  
k. bye.

Kaiba grit his teeth, his head spinning as he reached into his front blazer pocket, and a thin plastic card greeted his fingertips.

Atem noticed the drastic mood change in his rival, and he was instantly on guard.

“What is it, Kaiba?”

“Nothing…” Kaiba felt his cheeks burn horribly with humiliation.   
Damn. Was it really that obvious that he liked Atem?   
Too bad Atem was straight.

“Don’t lie, I know,” Atem whispered darkly, gripping his glass so hard his fingertips burned. “That was Mokuba or Yugi, right?”

“Nope,” Kaiba lied aggressively, his tongue going numb from being bitten down on between his own teeth.

“Show it to me,” Atem said firmly, holding his hand out for Kaiba’s phone. “Come on.”

Kaiba shook his head stubbornly and felt his ears burn even hotter.  
  
Atem dropped his hand slowly and nodded, understanding that Kaiba was embarrassed.   
He dipped his head down and smiled to himself.   
Kaiba’s personality was quite tolerable when they weren’t on dueling grounds.

He could understand why Yugi thought Kaiba would be a good match for him, and the idea sounded fun to explore. They sat together in pleasant silence for a moment before Kaiba finally found his voice.

“I have a room reserved upstairs.”

Atem blinked incredulously, his mind jumping from one question to the next.  
A room. What did it mean?   
Privacy.   
With Kaiba.   
Alone.  
Which mean…it could lead to…sex.   
Sex?  
No, impossible.   
That was too crass, even for Kaiba.  
But…was it?

Atem swallowed tensely, eyeing Kaiba beside him who was staring intently down into his own drink, his fingertips white around the glass with his head ducked down in embarrassment.

“What are you waiting for?” Atem whispered hoarsely, feeling a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “Let’s go.”

He reached out instinctively to grab Kaiba by the wrist, pulling him into an elevator that was conveniently about to close, and they barely made it in between the sliding metal doors, panting breathlessly.

“What floor?” Atem asked, his hand burning from the feel of Kaiba’s soft skin against his palm, and he watched Kaiba wordlessly stab his finger into the button numbered 18.

“So…we get a private room. How nice,” Atem said, aiming to fill the silence, but to his dismay, Kaiba remained quiet, his blue eyes burning holes through his body when they made eye contact.

The elevator doors slid open quietly and Kaiba stepped out first, realizing he was more eager about this than he was willing to let on, but Atem being sharp as he was, caught on instantly.

“Were you in on this, Kaiba? Look at you, you seem excited,” Atem jeered, his confidence returning in a rush when he saw Kaiba flush delightfully, and his stomach churned with excitement.

The hotel door was shoved open and Atem pushed his way in stubbornly, treading on his toes in the process. Kaiba hissed in pain but didn’t argue. He was slightly worried that if he opened his mouth, he would say something he would regret, and Atem would immediately reconsider.

“A double-wide bed! A bar! A kitchen!” Atem cried gleefully, rushing around the room with his eyes sparkling. “Look at this view!” He threw the curtains back with a whoosh, gazing down at the sparkling city lights of Domino City before them, his heart pounding excitedly.   
This was romantic indeed!

Kaiba stood awkwardly by the bed, beginning to doubt everything.   
Yes, this room was great, but…he wasn’t sure about anything anymore, and that thought frightened him deeply. He was usually very sure of himself, especially when it came to dueling, his work, and Mokuba…but somehow, with Atem, he could never fully keep himself composed.

“Go on, get on the bed,” Atem flashed him a devastatingly handsome smile that made him weak in the knees, and Kaiba nodded stiffly, kicking off his shoes and climbing slowly onto the plush mattress, his ears ringing with shock.

Atem hastily climbed onto the bed as well and straddled Kaiba’s legs with surprising ease, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” and he pressed himself forward flush against Kaiba’s chest, throwing his arms around the CEO’s shoulders to pull him into a deep embrace as their lips met, softly at first, and then harder, with more need and desperation. And when Kaiba realized he was being kissed heatedly, with teeth, tongue and sweet breath, he found his self-control slipping because he was kissing…kissing Atem, the Pharaoh Atem, and it was wonderful, heavenly, hot…. Everything was hot, from his legs to where Atem was sitting, to his skin underneath his shirt where the pharaoh’s hands were slowly sliding upwards, his warm fingertips finding his nipples, giving them rapid, playful pinches that sent fiery jolts of electricity shooting up and down his body, causing his arousal to tighten painfully around the base of his stomach, and the base of his groin where an agonizing heat was throbbing excitedly, begging to be touched, begging to be released.  
  
_“I’ve always wanted to do this….I’ve always wanted to do this…”_ Atem’s voice echoed magnificently around in Kaiba’s mind as his senses were overloaded with pleasure, and he realized he enjoyed Atem’s guidance. It was pure relief and comfort. His clothes had disappeared. Atem’s clothes had disappeared. His cheek was pressed down comfortably in the soft pillows and a warm hand was wrapped around his dick while a hot tongue sent naughty streams of fire trailing up and down his legs every time it grazed over his sensitive rim, and Kaiba opened his mouth to let out an excited shout, but it was muffled by the pillows. Atem’s hands were hot, loving and gentle. First, fingers and then tongue, and then fingers again, and…something thick…warm, and alien prodded his entrance.

“Let me in here…” Atem said breathlessly, and Kaiba’s vision turned green and then white when a searing heat filled him to the brim, licking and burning his insides furiously with every passionate thrust. Atem’s sensual breaths were quiet but audible above him, and Kaiba shut his eyes tightly, losing himself in the wonderous new sensations assaulting his body every time Atem entered him, he would soar to the highest cloud and never come down, floating endlessly in heavenly bliss, his mind clear and his body spasming with ecstasy acting almost against his will as Atem wrenched an orgasm from deep inside him.  
  
Hot fluids trickled down between his thighs, and Kaiba paid no mind, pressing the pillows harder against his face the moment Atem’s hand returned to stroke him in the front, steadily sending rhythmic waves of pleasure washing over him relentlessly.

Atem tucked his chin down onto Kaiba’s pale shoulderblade and enjoyed the tightness clenching around him, feeling complete. He was complete. This was what he had been missing. He had been given a second chance at life to spend it with his true soul mate, Seto Kaiba.   
This was pure love, pure ecstasy, pure pleasure.   
The rush was similar to winning, but this time it was different.   
They were both winning.

Slowly pulling himself out of Kaiba, Atem collapsed tiredly beside the CEO and gave him a playful nudge, brushing the hair out of his eyes as he stared into the pale handsome face beside him.

Breathless and winded, Kaiba threw a hand over his sweaty brow and tried to stop his chest from heaving.

“Kissing…” he managed to say. “You start with kissing, you idiot.” His throat was so dry from all the gasping, it was almost painful to swallow.

“We did kiss,” Atem said playfully, giving Kaiba’s bangs a light ruffle. “Was it not enough?”

Kaiba shook his head silently, feeling as if he was falling deeper and deeper into the bed as Atem snuggled his spiky head comfortably on his chest.  
  
It was never enough.

* * *

 **Author’s note:**   
  
written for taedae! New style of smut. Wdyt?

edited by: taedae  
  
love,  
Ugli

connect with me on [twitter ](https://twitter.com/hello_ugli)/[ tumblr ](http://uglifish.tumblr.com/)


	16. 1v1 [prideshipping]

* * *

**Summary:** Yami has 24 hours with Yugi's body and decides to challenge Kaiba to a duel! Smut ensues!

  
 **tags:** _prideshipping/ mild flareshipping/implied flareshipping/ NSFW/ graphic depictions of sex_

* * *

Yugi wandered through the halls of the puzzle, searching for the Pharaoh.

He wasn’t in his soul room, and he wasn’t in the ‘practice room’, which was a space they shared during duels…so, where could he be?

Pushing open another heavy door, Yugi wrinkled his nose at the musty smell coming from the darkness inside, and he recoiled.

Shutting it behind himself hastily, he turned the corner and went up a set of stairs, growing dizzier by the second. He passed another door, and he decided to try that one too. It was locked, and a deep, ominous growling rang from the other side. Yugi froze, seeing the door dent suddenly when the creature inside threw itself against the barrier, howling in anger and pain.

Ah…. The Pharaoh’s demons were scary….

Inching up the stairs to the door at the top where a wonderful yellow glow was coming out from underneath the crack, Yugi briefly wondered if his own demons were this terrifying. He kept his ears pricked for any more hostile sounds, and to his relief, there was nothing but silence.

The Pharaoh had to be in that room. It was lit, and he had to pass a demon on the way up.

“Y-Yami?” Yugi called tentatively, inching up the stone steps and listening to the odd sounds coming from behind the door. “I’m coming up…! Yami?”

Blinking rapidly, Yugi reached the top and leaned his ear against the keyhole, feeling a shiver run down his spine when he heard soft, rhythmic panting.

 _He’s in pain?_ Yugi thought wildly, shouldering the door open with strength, and what he saw shocked him to the core.

A memory was being replayed over and over again in the center of the room, and Yami was sitting against the wall at the far end with his pants around his ankles, shamelessly masturbating to the mirage of Seto Kaiba standing imposingly before him, glaring down at him with icy blue eyes. His lips were moving, saying something Yugi couldn’t hear, because he realized his own mouth was open, crying out in embarrassment.

“A-Ahhhh! I’m sorry!” Yugi stammered, and he reached forward to swing the door shut with an offensive _bang!_ but not before he caught the mortified look panning across Yami’s face.

“Shit!” Yami hissed, hastily picking his pants up from around his ankles and desperately trying to get dressed. His hand ached when he uncurled it from his length, and he didn’t want to think about it too much anymore.

“Where the hell are you going?” the mirage of Kaiba called out to him, and Yami’s heart skipped a nervous beat when he chanced a glance over his shoulder and gave it a half-hearted wave, causing the mirage to fade into the air.

Outside, Yugi was sitting on the top step with his head in his arms while he hugged his knees, rocking back and forth and wishing he could forget what he’d just seen.

He knew Yami had feelings for Kaiba, but…he never knew it was that serious.

Kaiba-kun’s incessant duel challenges were also indicative of the CEO’s romantic interest in Yami, but Yugi never gave it much thought past, ‘maybe it’s because they haven’t seen each other in a month and wanted to duel’.

Standing in the doorway of the room, Yami shut the door and approached Yugi carefully, sitting down beside his Aibou with a resigned sigh.

“Yugi…I’m sorry you had to see that,” Yami began awkwardly, fixated on the burning red tips of Yugi’s ears. “Next time, perhaps, you ought to knock…first?”

Yugi shook his head roughly, keeping his head buried in his arms, struggling to find his voice.

They sat together on the top step in polite silence before Yami broke it again carefully.

“I didn’t know how to tell you, Aibou,” Yami said darkly, crossing his slender legs in front of himself to get comfortable. “Please say something. Are you angry with me?”

Yugi shook his head again, unable to lift his head to meet Yami’s gaze.  
He wasn’t angry.  
He was shocked, and extremely embarrassed.  
Yami w-wanted to do _those things_ with Kaiba!

Swallowing thinly, Yami said nothing and patted Yugi awkwardly on the shoulder.  
Damn.  
He had scared his Aibou speechless.

After another long silence, Yugi finally lifted his head to stare deeply into Yami’s angular, amethyst eyes, asking, “you really like him that much?”

“Yes,” Yami answered so confidently, Yugi nearly slipped off the step, and he composed himself quickly, his cheeks burning while he nodded.

 “I see,” Yugi said quietly, curling his fingers over his knees so hard, they turned white. “What do you want to do about it?”

“What _can_ I do about it?” Yami mused ruefully, gazing out over the dark maze of the puzzle before them, folding his arms tightly across his chest. “Nothing. I can dream.”

Yugi nodded nervously, feeling a pang of sympathy sear through his chest at Yami’s mournful tone.  
  
In that moment, he could physically feel Yami’s pain….  
How horrible.  
  
Yami was still talking, and Yugi turned his attention back to the former king, his heart thudding loudly in his ears while Yami continued in a dull voice, “I will see him in the arena during our next duel and add more memories to the core I’ve collected to make him say things I want to hear. That is all I can do.”

Gritting his teeth, Yugi nodded, taking a deep breath and holding it in while his mind raced.  
He knew what he needed to do to help Yami, but it would take…a lot of courage on his part.

All he had to do now…was say it.

“…I can’t read his emotions sometimes,” Yami was still rambling at his side with a misty look in his eyes. “But other times, he says exactly what’s on his mind—”

“You can use my body,” Yugi said in a rush, letting his breath out in a nervous _whoosh!_ and turning to face Yami with a determined glow in his cheeks. “You can…just, don’t…mess me up, you know? I mean—I guess…what I’m asking is, what do you want to…do? K-Kiss him?”

Yami blinked, quite taken aback by the kind offer, and his expression instantly darkened.

“Of course, Yugi. I would like to do that, very much,” Yami replied so quietly, Yugi could barely hear him, and the Pharaoh’s demeanor had suddenly changed. His head was lowered, causing his spiky bangs to obscure his face.

“Then, it’s settled,” Yugi said, squaring his shoulders back with determination. “I’ll give you one day with him. 24 hours. And I’ll stay here, or in my soul room. I won’t eavesdrop on your…date.”

Yami blinked, his heart skipping a rapid beat when he heard this, and he slowly reached out to grab Yugi’s hand to give it a warm squeeze.

“You really mean that, Aibou?” Yami whispered, his voice shaking uncharacteristically with emotion. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“’Thanks,’ you say ‘thanks,’ silly,” Yugi grinned, bumping his shoulder playfully against Yami’s.

He could feel his heart fluttering in synch with Yami’s, and his cheeks reddened with a mixture of embarrassment and happiness.

He’d done something right; he was sure of it.

* * *

Kaiba paced the room nervously, repeatedly checking his reflection to make sure everything was perfect. His tie was straight, his blazer was stiff, and not a hair out of place. Good.

Because…Yami was coming.  
Not Yugi.  
Yami.

He’d gotten a call last night that made him so antsy, he couldn’t sleep. The caller ID on his phone showed Yugi’s name, but the deep voice on the other end was unmistakably Yami, challenging him to a duel, while also mentioning something about a ‘special circumstance’. Kaiba wasn’t sure what it was, because he could barely hear anything over his own vicious celebration inside his head.

How long had it been since he’d seen Yami? Too long.

Sitting down behind his desk, Kaiba stared blankly across the room, trying to ignore the erection raging inside his pants. He wasn’t sure feeling this was healthy…but what the hell else was he supposed to do?

He’d tried dating women before, and those ‘relationships’ all ended disastrously, most of the time with Yami sneering at him from the other side of the arena, taunting him about the latest article he’d read about how he’d romantically wronged a girl.

God. Agony.

Kaiba palmed his face, his cheeks burning with a mixture of rage and embarrassment at the memory. Worst of all, Yami had said he wanted to meet at the mansion first, to ‘discuss the terms of leniency’, whatever the hell that meant.

He knew the spirit of the millennium puzzle was old, but damn, he sure spoke like he had a stick up his ass, and Kaiba hated how it made his heart race.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and Kaiba rose to his feet, willing his boner to go down. He would not…open the door like this.

Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he read the text from Isono.

_“Car incoming through the gates with Yugi Mutou inside. Shall I answer the door to let him in?”_

“Yes,” Kaiba muttered, replying quickly and hitting ‘send’.

Letting his breath out in a slow hiss, he walked past the mirror again, glancing at himself one last time before striding out of the room. If he embarrassed himself in front of Yami one more damn time, he might just kill himself to avoid the awkwardness that would surely follow.

This was a close-quarters meeting with Yami. They weren’t on-the-go like they usually were when they bumped into each other, and they weren’t walking into an area to duel in front of a crowd with cameras.

Yami was…coming into his home for the first time. F-Fuck.

Deciding to keep his distance, Kaiba remained at the top of the grand staircase so he could have a full view of the bottom floor, gripping the banister tightly as Isono pulled the door back to reveal Yami standing apprehensively on the top step, looking as regal as ever.  
Fuck. His boner was back with full force.

“Yo,” Yami raised his hand in a casual greeting, seeing the shadow of the CEO on the top step, and to his dismay, Kaiba turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the upstairs.

“Please, come in…and here,” Isono bowed and set a pair of slippers by his feet and straightened up. “I will take your shoes.”

Grinding his teeth, Yami slid off his shoes and stuck his feet into the slippers, unable to enjoy its comfort because he was raging inside, wondering why Kaiba was behaving as cold as ever.  
  
Perhaps something had happened in the month they didn’t see each other.  
Perhaps Kaiba got another girlfriend.  
  
It had been a while since the last one, and Yami had been counting the months, trying to find a pattern. Every four months, there’d be a news article about a girl coming out with a scoop about ‘private life with Seto Kaiba’.  
  
Yami wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stomach hearing Kaiba say, “I’m seeing someone.”

Slowly walking up the steps, Yami stopped to stare at the long maze of doors down the hallway, and he heard Isono call out to him from below, “five down, turn the corner, at the very end!”

Yami nodded to himself and passed several doors, clenching his fists in his pockets, hating the curling, twisting nervousness inside him.  
He was wasting precious time Yugi had given him.  
Here, Kaiba was playing hide-and-seek in his own home.  
Did he not know how important each moment was?!

Stopping at the door, he decided he wouldn’t knock, so he shouldered it open and glanced around nervously, seeing Kaiba standing against the window, looking oddly tense.

“Well?” Kaiba said aggressively, unable to speak in a kinder tone. “What do you want? I haven’t booked the arena yet, so the answer to your question which I know you’re going to ask is… No, I don’t know which channels will be there to cover it.”

Yami blinked once, his irritation rising when he realized Kaiba hadn’t heard a word he’d said over the phone.

“I can’t believe you,” Yami said, unable to keep the disgust from leaking into his voice. “I said I’ve come here to duel, with no cameras and no crowd. You agreed, or did you forget?”

Kaiba’s eyelid twitched. He didn’t remember agreeing to that, but sure, fine.  
Anything to get Yami to stop glaring at him like that.

“Where’s your deck?” Yami asked angrily, his temper rising. “Why are you being so cowardly?”

Kaiba ground his teeth and walked over to his desk to yank out the topmost drawer where he pulled out his deck box and threw it down on the surface.

“Keep calling me names,” Kaiba seethed, his own temper flaring to match Yami’s tone. “I have a few saved up. Want to hear them now?”

“I don’t…I just wanted a duel!” Yami protested, holding his hand up defensively, his chest tightening with dread and annoyance at Kaiba’s hostility. “Here, let’s sit.”

He marched over to the desk chair he saw sitting in the far corner of the room and he stood uncertainly beside it, wondering why it looked so small compared to all the other furniture in the room.

“That’s the desk Mokuba does his homework on when he wants to spend time with me,” Kaiba said through gritted teeth, pointing at the door. “I have an arena outside—”

“I just said I don’t want to be outside,” Yami fumed, losing his temper once more. “Did you hear anything I told you over the phone? Anything at all? It’s fine to say, ‘I wasn’t listening’, Kaiba!”

“Alright! I…wasn’t…listening!” Kaiba hissed, clenching his fists at his sides while his ears burned with humiliation. “Say it again.”

“I _said_ ,” Yami began, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I am in full control of Yugi’s body for the next 24 hours. He’s locked himself away in a room to give us privacy. Duel me, and if you win…”

Kaiba’s eyes widened, his knees weakening rapidly as Yami’s mouth continued to move, but he couldn’t hear anything other than the sound of his heart thudding in his ears.

“If I win…then what?” Kaiba breathed, wondering where his voice had gone.  
Oh fuck.  
He needed to sit down.  
Where was Yugi?  
‘Locked away’, the pharaoh had said?  
So, standing before him right now, was Yami…by himself?  
Just Yami?  
Yami without…Yugi?

His legs were giving out.  
Chair.

He pulled out Mokuba’s tiny chair and sank down into it, his knees jutting up awkwardly due to his height while his stomach churned with anxiety and excitement.

“…Kaiba, you really live inside your own head, don’t you?” Yami said, folding his arms with a smirk when he thought he saw the outline of a bulge pressing against Kaiba’s pants. “Are you that excited? Hurry up then. The clock is ticking.”

“Here? Now?” Kaiba lifted his head to gaze directly into Yami’s violet eyes. “What happens when I win?”

“I said _if_ you can win,” Yami corrected him, winking playfully. “If you can win, I am yours for the rest of the day.”

Kaiba blanched, staring up into Yami’s face and feeling his skin burn with a strange heat. Okay. Yeah, he could get behind that…literally and figuratively.

He sprung into action, racing over to his desk to grab his deck, feeling Yami’s eyes following his every move. Turning around to face him, Kaiba gripped his deck, breathless with excitement.

“What do you mean by ‘yours’?” Kaiba railed, wondering if he was going too far by asking this, but he absolutely needed to know. “Say it clearly.”

“I mean it in all senses of the word,” Yami replied, his eyes glinting with a hint of mischief. “I take it you accept.”

“Oh, hell yes I accept,” Kaiba growled, marching over to Mokuba’s desk and setting his deck down onto it. “Wait here. I’ll get another chair.”

And before Yami could say anything, Kaiba vanished from the room, reappearing just as quickly with a small chair matching the one that was already there.

Propping it down beside Yami’s knees, Kaiba smoothed his tie down and sat at the small table with a flourish, palming his deck and shooting Yami a lustful glare.  
  
“Sit.”

“H-Here?” Yami cried, eyeing the small chair and table with mild disdain. “Wouldn’t you rather duel at a full-sized table?”

“Shut up and sit down. You’re wasting time,” Kaiba snapped, shuffling his deck with frenzied motions. “You said 24 hours? How long as it been already? God fucking dammit! You should’ve said so earlier!”

“I did say so…!” Yami growled, pulling out the chair and sinking into it, slipping his deck out from his belt and setting it carefully onto the desk, feeling slightly cramped when his knees touched the table underneath.  It was…such a tight fit, and Yugi’s body wasn’t big.  
Was this another one of Kaiba’s underhanded tactics?

The CEO clearly had a mansion full of other nice tables, yet he chose…Mokuba’s Homework Desk?!

“Rock paper scissors, who goes first?” Kaiba spoke rapidly, itching to get to the end of the duel. “Nevermind. I’ll go first. Draw your hand.”

Biting back an amused sigh, Yami picked the cards up from his deck, feeling Kaiba’s knees bumping into him from the other side, and his stomach swooped nervously.  
Ah…so it _was_ a tactic.  
Their knees were touching under the table.  
It was setting Yami’s legs on fire.  
They had only ever briefly touched hands when exchanging cards across the arena to jeers from the crowd.

This was bad. This was bad….

“Your turn,” Kaiba said coldly, setting his entire hand facedown on the desk and crossing his arms. “Go.”

Yami snapped back to reality and stared at Kaiba’s field. He had two cards face-down and one level four monster had been summoned. When…had that happened?

“Hurry…up,” Kaiba hissed, seeing Yami’s eyelashes flutter slightly. Was he…hesitating? He’d never seen that before, because he’d never been this close!

Kaiba leaned forward, raking his eyes down Yami’s slender frame and purposely pressed the fronts of his knees tighter against Yami’s. “You’re actually taking a long time to make your first move. What’s wrong, Yugi?”

He bit his tongue so hard, his eyes watered. Shit. Bad slip.

Yami said nothing, setting one card face down, realizing he had not drawn anything he could play as a defense. He was going to be attacked, and it seemed Kaiba was slipping into his usual taunts, calling him ‘Yugi’, which made his stomach twist uncomfortably.  
Perhaps he’d been too hasty to hope that Kaiba wanted anything to do with him romantically.  
Perhaps he was reading the signs incorrectly….

“Turn…end,” Yami said quietly, thinking if Yugi were here, he’d be screaming his head off at the way his first turn was going. Very unsexy.

“Are you losing on purpose?” Kaiba growled, scanning Yami’s field with rising resentment. “You’re unbelievable. Why do we even play if you’re not going to be taking me seriously?”

“I have…nothing to play. Your move!” Yami hissed through clenched teeth, resisting the urge to throw down his entire hand so Kaiba could see that he wasn’t lying. “Go!”

Setting his jaw, Kaiba picked his cards up from the table and glanced at his hand, suddenly feeling Yami shift his legs against his knees. Oho…did this mean his feelings would be returned?

Maybe Yami was acting this way because Yugi wasn’t present.  
This made everything more fair, right?

 _Oh shit!_ Kaiba reeled, hovering his hand over his cards. _I’m usually playing against the both of them! Today, there’s only one! It’s no wonder I always lose! It’s a two-against-one match every time!_

“…And now you are stalling,” Yami said simply, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back into the uncomfortable chair, staring at Kaiba’s nicely manicured fingertip. “What is it now?”

“Oh, nothing,” Kaiba said lightly, setting another card face down on his side of the field and tapping his face-up monster with a flick of his forefinger. “Attacking. Response?”

“No response,” Yami growled, and he watched as Kaiba nodded and set another card face down, adding to his growing defense.

“Go,” Kaiba said simply, leaning back into the uncomfortable chair and placing all his cards face down on the table as a show of strength.  
He didn’t need to look at his cards.  
He knew what he was fucking doing, and clearly, Yami…didn’t?  
Was he floundering because Yugi wasn’t in his ear?

Holy fuck, maybe he did have a chance today after all! This wasn’t much of a duel.

Yami drew a card and stared blankly at it, hating that it was another high-level monster he couldn’t summon. Damn. His luck today was either rotten or everything was really on his side.

“Does Yugi have a girlfriend?” Kaiba asked instantly, seeing Yami’s brow furrow in concentration, and he kept pressing with questions, intent on distracting the spirit. “What about that girl, what’s-her-name, with the boobs? And she never shuts up about friendship? Oh, right. Mai Valentine?”

“Anzu,” Yami muttered, setting a magic card at the end of his field in hopes to stall for time, but Kaiba quickly retaliated, and both cards were sent to the graveyard.

“Are they dating?” Kaiba asked conversationally. He knew the answer. He’d heard from Mokuba, but…he wanted to ask in person, just to savor the look on Yami’s face.

“No, not…yet,” Yami breathed, feeling himself sweat as he gazed at his horrible hand and empty field. Gods…what was this? What was happening before his eyes?  
He’d never dueled this badly before…in any lifetime!

“Does he want to date her?” Kaiba pressed, drawing a card fluidly and tossing it down on the field face-up. “This magic card adds—”

“I know what it does. Just attack me already!” Yami hissed, his eyes burning as he stared at the two monsters on Kaiba’s side of the field.  
Three facedown cards, and one magic card to power-up all the life points for both monsters.  
1,200 life points wasn’t a lot to lose, but if this kept up, Yami wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out.

“Oh, what was that? I didn’t hear you. Say it louder,” Kaiba jeered, cupping his ear with one hand, grinning like a madman. “Attack you? Where? Here?”

He pointed at his field and waited for a brief second, seeing Yami’s eyes widen before he slowly slid his leg up Yami’s calf, feeling him tense mightily and jerk his knees up so hard, the table shook and caused their decks to tilt.

“Are you trying to cheat?” Kaiba continued, tightening his leg and feeling Yami’s heat soaking through his pant leg with alarming speed. “Amateur move, trying to fuck up the playing field while a game is in session.”

“S-Stop…” Yami breathed, and he briefly wondered why he was asking Kaiba to stop.  
He didn’t want that. Hell, if anything, continue!

“I attack, you lose twelve-hundred life points, add that to the eight-hundred from earlier,” Kaiba said robotically, reaching for his facedown card, he flipped it over with two, slender fingers. “I use this card to send both monsters to the graveyard to summon…”

Yami wasn’t listening anymore. He was inching his hand down to pry Kaiba’s leg off of his leg but to no avail.

Kaiba felt Yami’s hot hands come down around his knee, and he stiffened stubbornly, sweeping the two cards off the table to summon a level eight monster, feeling Yami shaking so much, he swore he could feel the table vibrating.  
Ha…  
Without Yugi, the pharaoh was quite vulnerable.

 _Then…maybe I can do_ this, Kaiba thought evilly, inching his chair back to give his long legs enough room so could shove his foot against Yami’s crotch, earning a gasp as his foot was nearly crushed by Yami’s inner thighs tensing around his toes.

“Ow,” Kaiba grimaced, but his heart was soaring with triumph. Easiest. Win. Ever.

“Get…your filthy…” Yami could barely get his words out. His throat had closed up and his entire body was frozen as Kaiba wiggled his toes playfully against his crotch, sending streams of fire up and down his body.

Hands tightened around his ankle, and Kaiba shook his head, unfazed.

“Your move,” he said evenly, seeing Yami’s cards splayed out messily across his side. One card had even landed face-up. It was a lame monster card. Not even worth seeing.

“I…can’t…if you keep…your foot there,” Yami hissed, his heart pounding so hard inside his chest, he felt like exploding.

“You need two hands,” Kaiba taunted gleefully, pointing lazily at Yami’s deck which had also spilled over. “One to fix your deck, the other to hold your cards. Hurry up. I’m getting…bored.”

“No!” Yami breathed, his dick throbbing with pent-up frustration the more Kaiba began to playfully step down into his center. “Stop…distracting me!”

“I thought that was the whole point,” Kaiba said, his heart racing when Yami’s hands tightened around his ankle so much, his skin burned. “Your move, or do you forfeit? How fucking disappointing.”

Grinding his teeth, Yami shakily drew a card and his vision blurred so much, he could barely read it. Kaiba’s was…wiggling his foot…against his erection!  
No…wait!  
It was not his…it was Yugi’s!  
But he had finally drawn a card he could summon, but what good could it do?  
He was sorely behind, and Kaiba’s high-level monster would bulldoze him the moment he put it down.

“You do realize…this isn’t…my body?” Yami whispered, choosing to summon the monster anyway to keep his life points from being attacked. “Turn end. Get your…foot off of that area!”

Kaiba sneered at the puny level two monster on Yami’s side of the field and pressed the pads of his foot down onto the enticing hardness raging back at him through Yami’s leather pants. And was he imagining things or had Yami inched his chair up tighter against the desk?  
Yami… _liked this_?

“You’re going to lose,” Kaiba said quietly, feeling his own boner itch in his pants and leak wetly into his underwear. Shit. Shit. He was going to lose his self-control at this rate. Nice to know he could freely step on the pharaoh any time he wanted in the middle of a duel and get a positive response.

Yami ground his teeth furiously, feeling himself throb horribly with longing and lust. Oh gods. It was somehow worse when he was in a physical body. He thought if he masturbated before entering this duel, he could hold out, but instead, it had the opposite effect and only made him more sensitive. And he never thought Kaiba would advance on him, physically…mid-duel.

“Let’s play open-hand,” Kaiba suggested, throwing his remaining cards face-up on the table. “I can’t believe you’re losing to me on purpose.”

Yami said nothing and gingerly set his cards face-up to show Kaiba his entire hand. It was nothing but four high-level monsters and one trap card that could only be used if he had three monsters on the field.

“Interesting, you’ve got a really bad hand,” Kaiba grinned handsomely, and Yami couldn’t do anything other than bring his hand back down under the table to grip Kaiba by the ankle, wishing he would either move his foot up and down to give him pleasure, or…take it away completely to give him relief.

“Normally, I’ve seen you play out of this,” Kaiba continued, his voice shaking with restraint as he reached intrusively across the field to touch Yami’s deck. “I pass my turn. Your move. Draw.”

He drew Yami’s next card for him, feeling hands tighten around his leg further when another high-level monster came up.

Unusable.

“Really? Did you do this to your deck on purpose?” Kaiba asked incredulously, unable to believe it, he flipped the next four cards up.  
Monster card.  
It couldn’t be summoned unless there were two other monsters of the same type already in play.  
Trap card.  
It was usable, but only if there were two monsters on his side of the field.  
Magic card. Useless. One was already in effect.  
Monster card. A low-level one, finally, but too late.  
At this point, he would’ve attacked Yami with four high-level monsters on his side of the field, resulting in…a loss.  
Yami’s loss.

“Did you shuffle?” Kaiba asked gruffly, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He turned to flip the cards off the top of his own deck, surprised to see a favorable line-up.  
  
His blue-eyes was waiting for him as his third card…whereas Yami would’ve drawn that measly magic card.

Holy fuck.  
If this game had actually played out, Yami would’ve lost.  
It was being played out, right now! Yami had lost!

“Are you finished… _cheating_?” Yami hissed, his cheeks turning deep red when he felt Kaiba obediently lower his foot, taking the pressure off his groin, causing his stomach to churn violently at the sudden loss of contact.

“You lose,” Kaiba said blankly, staring at the mess of cards on the table. “You can’t be fucking serious!”

“You looked at all of my cards, so it doesn’t count!” Yami flushed, his fingers inching down his own thigh, wishing he could touch himself. “What the hell was that nonsense?”

“It’s a tactic I use to teach Mokuba how to play,” Kaiba replied quietly, gathering his cards together slowly with large, sweeping movements. “I just showed you the outcome of that game. You lose.”

Yami said nothing, now eyeing the bathroom door behind Kaiba’s shoulder.

“Great, good game,” Yami muttered, rising to his feet clumsily and hoping he could get inside the bathroom with minimal embarrassment. “Best two out of three.”

“No, you didn’t say that,” Kaiba insisted, also standing and blocking Yami’s way, raking his eyes intrusively down his slender body with a hungry smirk. “Nice boner. Does losing get you off?”

Shocked speechless, Yami decided to maintain his dignity and say nothing. He crossed his arms across his chest and planted his feet apart stubbornly. He would not let Kaiba humiliate him for drawing a bad hand being unable to play out of it.

“Striking a pose for me?” Kaiba’s eyes widened with mirth and he pulled his phone out of his pocket, grinning. “This is great.”

He stepped back and snapped a photo, seeing Yami glaring up at him through the view finder with his bulge peeking out nicely from underneath the stacks of belts while his arms remained tightly crossed. Very nice indeed.  
He was going to save that for later.

Swallowing thinly, Yami didn’t move, feeling himself blush harder as Kaiba narrowed his eyes and tucked his phone away, towering over him with a triumphant smirk.

“Now take off your shirt,” Kaiba said carelessly, moving to sit at the edge of his bed and looking on with excitement. “Do it like you mean it.”

Yami set his jaw and struggled to find his voice. After several frantic heartbeats, he managed to speak, “you think that just by winning one duel, you can order me around?”

“No, but yes,” Kaiba replied fluidly, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers gracefully over one knee. “You said it yourself. ‘ _Attack me already!’_ and, _‘I’m yours’_ , so…why don’t you act like it? Go on. I’m waiting.”

Grinding his teeth steadily, Yami stood there and did nothing. He…couldn’t do it. His arms and legs had been glued to his body, tightly crossed. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest as he waited for Yugi to say something, telling him to move, run, or look away, but there was only silence.

Holding his breath, Yami’s eyes widened fearfully when he saw Kaiba’s look of maddening glee.

Oh gods…what had he done now?  
He had underestimated Kaiba…again!

He had only wanted to perform the act of kissing, but this…was somehow worse.  
Kaiba wanted to see his body—no, Yugi’s body!

“You are aware…that…this is not my body,” Yami repeated, and he saw Kaiba shake his head, causing his light brown hair to drape prettily over his brow.

“It is your body, completely,” Kaiba replied clever, continuing to stare shamelessly at the erection in Yami’s pants.  
It was fucking arousing as hell.  
He would remember this forever.  
Holy fucking shit.  
This was the best day ever.

But somehow…. Yami seemed…muted.  
He looked slightly afraid, and Kaiba couldn’t help but feel that it was off-putting.  
Where had the earlier confidence gone?

Perhaps Yami was shaken, after all this was his first time without Yugi.  
Which meant…he could show Yami _something amazing_ with absolute privacy.

That thought spurred Kaiba into action, and he lunged at Yami, pulling him to the bed and pushing him down onto it, hovering excitedly over him, unable to keep the grin off his face.

The air whooshed out of Yami’s lungs, and his head spun when Kaiba threw him down onto the bed, and he couldn’t do anything other than stare up into his handsome face and blink expectantly. What was Kaiba thinking? His blue-eyes had gone strangely dark and he had wet his lips with a sensual flick of his tongue. Wh-What was that expression?  
Yami had never seen it before.

Now thoroughly uncertain, Yami inched up on his elbows and opened his mouth to protest, but realized this was a mistake when Kaiba’s lips came crashing down onto his, softly at first, and then harder, faster, with teeth and sometimes tongue, swirling against the roof of his mouth before slipping out to lick his lower lip with agonizing slowness.

It made his heart clench and his stomach churn. Yami felt like he was falling…and he struggled to open his eyes, enjoying Kaiba’s palm cupping his cheek, pulling him closer as their tongues danced and writhed against each other happily.

 _Oh…fuck, he tastes good,_ Kaiba thought blurrily, parting his lips to inhale Yami’s unique scent. How many sleepless nights had he spent dreaming about their first kiss? Now, he had lost count how many times they’d kissed, because Yami kept arching up against him, parting his mouth needily to breathe him in, and he was moving as if something had possessed him.  
He wanted to touch, lick, and feel every curve of Yami’s muscles against his body. Nothing was enough. He wanted more of everything.

Clothes were in the way.

Kaiba dragged his palms down the sides of Yami’s body, relishing the sight underneath him. Had he always been this…slender?

His thumbs could meet when he rested his palms on Yami’s sharp hipbones.  Time to do something he’d always wanted to do.

Grabbing Yami’s hips with both hands, Kaiba spread his legs and began dry humping him furiously, earning a horrified shout from the pharaoh as he writhed in protest, struggling not to laugh.

“That’s not…that’s not how…!” Yami choked, briefly wondering what the hell he was saying.

“Yeah, pants off,” Kaiba huffed, digging his fingertips in through the top belt and beginning to undo it with rapid fascination. He’d always wanted to pry these damn belts off of his hips. Now, he was finally doing it. Finally!

One belt fell away and he worked steadily on the second, seeing pale hands resting on the mattress on either side of his legs, and his face burned when he thought he felt Yami’s gaze searing into him, watching his every move.

Tossing the second belt aside, Kaiba unbuttoned Yami’s pants with alarming ease, and hands came down to stop him.

“Wait! Wait!” Yami cried, his eyes wild with panic. “I only wanted to kiss! This isn’t what I had in mind!”

“This is what I had in mind,” Kaiba replied playfully, running his knuckles down Yami’s clothed length, seeing him wince and shudder happily. “I’ll do anything you ask because you’re mine. So, I’m taking requests now. What do you want me to do?”

“I—I…” Yami could barely get words out through his breaths, wondering why everything felt so hot, and hazy. Kaiba’s hand was rubbing him gently, too gently through the front of his pants, and Yami lowered his gaze to blink heavily at the pale hand caressing his balls.

N-No…they couldn’t….!

What would Yugi say?

But his dick was hurting from the constant strain…and sudden lack of stimulation was making him leak uncomfortably into his underwear.

“You…what?” Kaiba tilted his head playfully, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on Yami’s forehead, enjoying the way blond bangs tickled his nose. “You…smell…nice. Say it.”

“You smell nice,” Yami repeated stubbornly, and he received an irritated growl from Kaiba.

“And…you want me to…suck you off,” Kaiba added, hoping Yami would repeat after him again, but to his dismay, Yami shook his head, his cheeks pinker than ever.  
Wh-What? No?!

“This is Yugi’s body, this is Yugi’s body,” Yami chanted, shaking with restraint when Kaiba’s fingers slipped his zipper down teasingly, centimeter by centimeter, the sight nearly giving him a heart attack. “Kaiba! We can’t!”

“ _We_ can’t or _you_ can’t?” Kaiba snapped, losing the last of his patience as he stared at Yami’s erection clothed neatly in black underwear. “This is what I want, and you conceded. Don’t go back on your word.”

“No, I—” Yami protested, but Kaiba barreled over him, looking incensed with his high cheekbones flushed pink.

“Yugi gave you his body for one day, and you didn’t talk to him about what you’d be doing in it? What the hell did you think was going to happen, Pharaoh? We’d just kiss, and I’d let you leave? Please. You’ve really lost your mind if you think that’s all I want.”

“I…” Yami faltered, weakening by the second as Kaiba inched his pants off from around his waist and hovered his chin above his still-clothed erection.

“You didn’t tell him?” Kaiba asked knowingly, seeing the tips of Yami’s ears remain beet red. “Figures. Well, that’s your problem, not mine.”

Yami stared so hard, his eyes watered, and he dared to blink once.  
In that brief second, Kaiba had managed to lower the band of his underwear in a flash and dip his head down along his length, giving his tip a strong swirl with the tip of his tongue, sending waves of ecstasy crashing over him suddenly, too suddenly, so much that his legs jerked and his knees trembled uncontrollably as Kaiba continued his slow worship, bobbing his head up and down while sucking powerfully, causing white stars to dot the corners of Yami’s vision.

What a sight. Kaiba’s neat swirl of brown hair was…between his legs, giving him loving attention. Oh gods…

Yami pressed a hand to his forehead to stem the oncoming pleasure headache. His eyelids were getting heavy, and Yami forced them apart, not wanting to miss a moment. He had to stamp every second of this into his memory forever, lest it never happened again.

Down below, Kaiba was enjoying himself immensely. Yami must’ve taken a bath before coming over, because he could taste the bitter tang of soap at the back of his throat, and he mildly appreciated that, but he was slightly disappointed that he couldn’t have a real taste…of his skin…

Pulling off of Yami’s erection, Kaiba dipped his head down and buried his nose between the crack where Yami’s balls met the inner thigh and felt Yami’s leg jerk violently in response. He dragged open-mouth kisses down Yami’s leg, growing dizzy as the warm scent of something wonderful engulfed him.

Holy fuck. He smelled…like a whole field of flowers.

“Had enough now?” Yami asked weakly, and his own erection throbbed angrily in protest.  
No.  
He wanted more.

Kaiba shook his head silently and leaned forward to take Yami’s leaking tip into his mouth, humming pleasantly and sending a violent shiver up Yami’s spine, tasting more of his fluids on his tongue, so he licked the slit roughly, aching to taste more. Yami’s essence was thin, and bittersweet.

Yami wasn’t prepared for the sudden stimulation of Kaiba’s tongue in his slit, and it caused his toes to curl while his body shuddered with a pleasurable orgasm. His vision went white and then green, clamping his knees down onto Kaiba’s ears and feeling a warm breath gaze his inner thighs again, sending electric tingles up and down his body. Oh…no, this was bad….

Kaiba let the semen rush into his mouth, and he swallowed it easily, unsurprised that there wasn’t much of it. Cute. The pharaoh had probably tried to jerk off before coming over and…clearly it didn’t work.

“N-Now…have you finished?” Yami asked weakly, desperately hoping the answer was ‘no’, because he hadn’t seen Kaiba’s length yet. But…did Kaiba want him to see?  
Could he ask to see it if Kaiba said he’d had enough?

“I haven’t finished,” Kaiba scoffed, narrowing his eyes coldly at Yami, wondering if he should read more into Yami’s breathy tone. “Your turn. Sit up.”

Yami forced himself to sit up through the pleasurable haze settling at the front of his mind, and he saw Kaiba reach down to grab his hand, holding it gently before flattening it against the side of a very intimidating looking bulge in his dark slacks. If the silver ‘KC’ buckle on Kaiba’s belt was a good size-comparison, then it was safe to say that his length was quite large.

Yami swallowed nervously, his throat dry and scratchy. Oh gods.  
Kaiba was much larger than him, in height and in…other places.

“Switch,” Kaiba said carelessly, sitting down beside Yami and giving his arm an encouraging tug. “Do it to me.”

Yami found himself nodding, a little too eagerly, and he stopped himself.

He placed his hands down onto Kaiba’s thighs, feeling him flex excitedly, and his stomach churned as the belt buckle gleamed threateningly at him again under the dim chandelier lights.

This was it. He was finally going to do what he’d been re-living the memories he’d hoarded after all these months.

Yami dove at the belt and tore at it with a heated frenzy, no longer able to hold himself back. The belt came away with ease and he scrambled to undo the button, fumbling in his haste.

Kaiba tucked his hands behind his head and watched with a smirk. Hell yes. Yami was sexy even when he was clumsy, and clearly, he was very eager too. The wonderful tang of Yami’s semen was still lingering on the roof of his mouth, and Kaiba licked his lips happily, watching Yami carefully reach down into his underwear to gently extract his erection.

Cool fingers closed around his hard length, and Kaiba bit back an excited sigh. Yes. Fuck yes.

He saw Yami blink and hesitate for one second before dipping his head down with enthusiasm to give him a long, slow suck, causing his stomach to curl and clench wonderfully at different times. Holding his breath, Kaiba continued to watch Yami enjoy himself, bobbing his head up and down rhythmically before pocketing the tip into his cheek, his violet eyes angling upwards when he attempted to smile playfully with a dick in his mouth.

Kaiba nearly came on the spot, and he tried to hold back, but Yami caught on, wrapping his hand around the base of his arousal to give him several rapid pumps while keeping his lips firmly attached to the tip, sucking and twirling his tongue incessantly over his slit until an orgasm wrenched from Kaiba’s body.

 _F-Fuck,_ Kaia thought weakly, thunking his head back onto the mattress and closing his eyes, feeling himself sinking deeper and deeper into it.

“Was it good? It was good, wasn’t it?” Yami asked gleefully, seeing the heavy rise and fall of Kaiba’s chest on the bed. “Hey, speak! Are you dead?”

“Yes, maybe,” Kaiba said faintly, sitting up with a huge effort and reaching forward to cup Yami’s face in his hand, leaning down to capture his lips in a passionate kiss, dipping his tongue down onto the unique curves of Yami’s teeth. He could do this all day and all night. Why hadn’t Yami managed to get Yugi to agree to this sooner?

He pulled away gently and trailed his lips down Yami’s cheek, listening to the soft, sensual breaths coming from his partner.

“Can we do something else?” Kaiba asked, wondering if he should specify what, but he had a feeling Yami would disagree if he said it out loud.

“Another duel?” Yami tilted his head to the side, trying not to let the sudden wave of disappointment consume him. That was it, wasn’t it? Kaiba had gotten what he wanted and now it was back to business as usual.

“Sure, that, but…something _else_ ,” Kaiba breathed, burying his nose into Yami’s blond bangs and inhaling deeply again. “Lay down and let me kiss you…everywhere.”

Yami hesitated for a moment before he nodded and smiled, draping his arms around Kaiba’s shoulders to pull him closer, enjoying the hot breath trailing down his neck and grazing his collarbones.

Kaiba slid his hand up Yami’s side, bunching his black tank top underneath his chin to stare lustfully at his nipples. Nice. Very nice. They were so cute and perky.

“W-What are you looking at?” Yami asked, his cheeks growing redder by the second. “Stop that.”

 “I’m remembering it,” Kaiba answered simply, inching his fingers up to give the left one a teasing pinch, earning an embarrassed hiss. “Look…this one’s happy.”

“Stop!” Yami growled, trying to yank his shirt down but Kaiba was stronger, and wrestled him playfully, managing to wrench his shirt off from around his head, leaving him naked on the mattress, shivering slightly.

He reached forward to grab the hem of Kaiba’s shirt, but large, pale hands came down around his wrists, stopping him.

Flashing Kaiba an annoyed glare, Yami struggled against Kaiba’s grip, but to no avail. Kaiba’s eyes were slightly wide with panic, and his playful demeanor from a few seconds had vanished.

“I don’t know what you want,” Yami retorted, wondering if he ought to shove Kaiba off his legs. “You want to take off my shirt, but I can’t take off yours?”

Kaiba said nothing, his mind racing for something that wouldn’t ruin the mood, but he had a feeling it had already been ruined.

“Take it off,” Yami said venomously, propping himself up on his elbows, seeing his own chest rising and falling with every breath. “I’ll wait.”

There was a tense silence as Kaiba gazed nervously into Yami’s eyes, his heart thundering in his chest when he slowly lifted his shirt up off his body and tossed it aside unceremoniously, hearing it land with a thump behind him somewhere on the ground, fixating on Yami’s wide-eyed stare.

Yami’s breath caught painfully in his chest when he eyed the thin flesh-toned welts curving around the edges Kaiba’s shoulders and abdomen, and his heart clenched with a mixture of fear and pity.

Kaiba’s physique was…incredible, but…what were these scars?  
If he didn’t know any better, he’d say they looked like…punishment lashes.

“There. You’ve seen it. Happy?” Kaiba growled, wondering where his shirt had landed so he could pick it up to put it back on again. He moved off of Yami’s legs, but a warm hand shot out to grab him by the elbow, restraining him.

“I don’t…mind it,” Yami struggled to find the words when his throat restricting painfully the sight of more brutal scars splayed messily across the skin of Kaiba’s back.  
How…horrifying.

“No, you hate it,” Kaiba said in monotone, his face slowly becoming expressionless while his eyes lowered. “You think I’m disgusting and now, you pity me.”

“You don’t get to say what I think,” Yami snapped, his cheeks burning as he gave Kaiba’s arm another firm tug. “I know those scars made you the man you are today. Now, we can either continue with, or without a shirt. I’m losing my patience.”

Kaiba blinked rapidly, tensing when Yami gave him one final tug that knocked him off balance, and he found himself straddled tightly with his body twisted awkward to the side.

Struggling to draw his next breath, Kaiba rolled onto his back with effort, seeing Yami’s angular eyes narrow dangerously at him.

“Now this is more like it,” Yami said devilishly, flattening his palms over Kaiba’s muscular chest and groping him shamelessly. “This is where you belong—beneath me.”

Kaiba grit his teeth and let out a low growl, lunging at Yami rolling him onto his side, feeling legs kicking and flailing underneath him as the Pharaoh struggled against him.

“Now, you’re…beneath…. _me_!” Kaiba hissed triumphantly, wrapping his long legs around Yami’s slender ones and keeping him trapped horizontal on the bed. He snaked his hands around Yami’s waist to give his semi-erect penis a rough grab, earning a startled gasp before he slipped his hand lower past his balls, the pads of his fingertips grazing an enticing ring of muscle that clenched the moment he touched it.

“What are you doing?” Yami cried, his body reacting instantly, and he stared down at himself in horror at his erection slowly standing at attention, pressing against the pale hand between his legs.

Suddenly, Kaiba was above him again, gently grabbing his ankles and spreading them apart so he could stare gleefully at his balls.

“What…are you…doing?” Yami repeated, barely able to speak through his rapid pants, watching Kaiba lean off the side of the bed and show him a plain white bottle he’d taken out from the drawer in the nightstand.

Blinking steadily Yami watched Kaiba coat his entire hand in the liquid and slide his hand down his crack, thudding the pad of his finger tightly against the soft skin underneath his balls. The feeling sent violent shivers up and down Yami’s body, and he willed himself to remain still, with Kaiba’s hand resting on his inner thigh, keeping his legs splayed open.

His chest burned and his arousal throbbed longingly again when Kaiba threw him a nervous smile, and pressed the tip of his index finger along his entrance, his voice barely audible through the loud ringing in his ears, “Can I…?”

Yami shook his head slowly before nodding once. Was…Kaiba going to touch him…inside?  
Wait. Why did Kaiba want to do that?  
This wasn’t his body!

The thought had barely left Yami’s mind before he was blinded by a shock of pleasure from Kaiba’s hand wrapping around his length and giving him slow, steady, upward jerks while the finger shoved firmly up his hole and began thrusting and twisting, causing his legs to twitch and jerk uncontrollably while Kaiba continued to stare intently at his crotch with a gleeful smirk on his lips.

Throwing his head back onto the mattress, Yami gasped for air, feeling Kaiba slow his pace, and his stomach curled emptily in response.

He hissed angrily and lifted his head with effort, seeing Kaiba coat his own arousal in the mystery fluid with one large hand and give the base of his balls another prod, but this time with the head of his dick.

“Wait…wait!” Yami held his hand up anxiously, his heart skipping beats at the thought of Kaiba shoving his length inside his asshole, and he clenched nervously. “We can’t!”

“Say that one more damn time,” Kaiba snarled, digging his fingertips unconsciously into the flesh of Yami’s thigh. “Do you want it or not?”

“…Not…” Yami replied weakly, and Kaiba threw him a dirty look before shoving his finger back into his hole and curling it upwards against the walls of his insides, the sensation sending wild streams of fire racing down Yami’s chest, and his lungs constricted as he tried to draw his next breath, but there was nothing except waves of pleasure, drowning him steadily as Kaiba gripped the base of his length to stifle an orgasm before adding a second finger, gently spreading him wider and wider.

Kaiba bit the inside of his cheek, restraining himself with effort as he drank in the sight of Yami enjoying himself thoroughly. His adam’s apple was jumping wildly in his throat as Yami kept trying to protest, so Kaiba spitefully added a third finger, mercilessly thrusting and searching for the prostate.  
Maybe he’d hit it already.  
He didn’t know, and maybe it didn’t matter, because the head of Yami’s dick was leaking pitifully while his gasps were music to his ears.  
The head was turning a pretty shade of pink after having been rubbed raw by his hands. Maybe…he should try asking again now.

Withdrawing his hand, Kaiba felt himself leak excitedly again, and he ignored it with a vengeance, glaring at Yami’s chest heaving up and down on the mattress as he spoke, “do you want it or not?”

Yami’s vision was bright and blurry. He could barely hear Kaiba thought the blood rushing in his ears, and he raised his head up heavily, his eyes half-lidded.

“Want…what?” Yami asked weakly, and he received a hostile growl from Kaiba between his legs. He felt incredibly empty now that Kaiba had stopped touching him, and he ached to finish, but the feeling was out of his reach. His entire body had gone numb.

“Are you fucking serious,” Kaiba eased back on his heels to stare at Yami’s clenching hole. “Let me fuck you, dammit.”

“Y-You’re already…doing that,” Yami replied breathlessly, his eyes widening when he saw Kaiba prod the head of his dick at his balls again, and he tensed excitedly. “No, Kaiba…wait!”

“Really? _Really?!”_ Kaiba raged, his thighs trembling with restraint as he lifted Yami’s legs higher, thinking he would cum on Yami’s balls if he kept saying ‘no’. “You’ve got me like this…and you don’t want it? Really, Pharaoh? Are you fucking shitting me?”

Yami shook his head fervently, his eyes tearing up at the corners while his dick twitched. He couldn’t! But it would feel _so good_ ….  
No!  
He had to resist.  
He couldn’t!  
Yugi would know, wouldn’t he?  
Would he?!

Yami let his breath out shakily, his body burning with longing as his dick twitched again, and Kaiba saw that. His resolve slipped drastically, so he resorted to begging.

“Please, please,” he breathed, lowering his head and staring intently at the head of his penis pressed tightly against Yami’s clenching entrance. “Just a little? I’ll only put in…the tip. _Please_ …Yami, god… _fuck!_ ”

Unable to hold out any longer, Yami’s lower lip trembled when he whispered, “o-only a little….” And for a moment, he thought Kaiba would change his mind because he stilled powerfully for a second…before he was entered in one swift motion. Yami’s vision faded into white when he felt Kaiba fill him up to the hilt, and he bit back a gasp, torn between happiness and guilt as he squirmed excitedly, enjoying the way Kaiba’s balls pressed softly against his asscheeks.

Th-That was not _‘a little’_! That was Kaiba’s entire length!

Smiling shakily, Kaiba raised his head to see Yami gazing lustfully back at him, half-propped up on his elbows and panting heavily. He could feel Yami trembling underneath him, bucking his hips up invitingly, and Kaiba took this chance to gently pull out and shove himself back into Yami’s heat, earning a lewd gasp. The Pharaoh’s fingertips whitened over the sheets and Kaiba lost himself completely when Yami’s arm looped over his neck to pull him into a soft kiss, rocking his hips upwards suggestively, sending hot shivers down his body. Holy fuck…yes…yes!

Yami shut his eyes and felt himself floating, higher and higher with every one of Kaiba’s passionate thrusts sending him over the edge, but always bringing him back down quickly, only to build him up again to an explosive orgasm that racked his body violently with ecstatic shivers.

A heated stream of semen splashed wetly up against Yami’s stomach, and Kaiba bared his teeth, biting down on Yami’s shoulder and allowing himself to be consumed by a frenzied lustful rage as he furiously rammed repeatedly into Yami with reckless abandon, his ears ringing with the pharaoh’s gasps, laughter, and soft moans.  
Fuck.  
He never knew Yami could make noises like that.  
An orgasm was bubbling up, hot and fast, so Kaiba gave in and shuddered happily, feeling Yami’s breath graze his ear as he came in a rush, his ears ringing, and his back drenched in sweat.

He was dimly aware of fingers gently circling his shoulder blades as he came back down from his climax, sinking into the bed beside Yami, whose chest was still heaving with excited breathing.

Resting his head on Kaiba’s shoulder, Yami gazed up at the chandelier above them, his body pleasantly warm and his skin tingling with happiness.

His asshole ached and throbbed, and he clenched emptily around nothing, feeling himself grow aroused again. Oh gods. This was bad….

“Hey…was that okay?” Kaiba asked nervously, popping his head up on one hand and brushing the spiky bangs away from Yami’s cheeks. “I know I was being rough.”

“I enjoyed it,” Yami replied simply, raising his arm in the air to make sure his body still worked. He was getting sleepy…and the semen on his stomach had dried alarmingly fast.

He felt Kaiba snuggle into his shoulder and plant a soft kiss on his cheek, and Yami blushed inadvertently, leaning away on instinct, but stopped himself halfway and froze when he saw it was completely dark outside his window.

Bolting upwards, Yami scanned the room hastily, eyeing the bathroom door.

“Kaiba, what time is it?” he asked frantically, and Kaiba stared lazily at him, trying to tug him back down onto the bed.

“Time to go again,” he said evilly, feeling his thighs burn in protest. “But the other way around because I’m spent.”

“No! Yugi will emerge soon!” Yami cried, leaping off the bed and racing for the door he thought was the bathroom, his knees buckling instantly after he took five steps.

“Don’t!” Kaiba rushed after Yami and caught him just as he was falling face-first towards the nearest wall. “You can’t stand after that!”

“I can’t…I have to!” Yami whispered wildly, clinging onto Kaiba’s forearm and daring himself to enjoy the warmth seeping into his chest as he hung on for support. “Midnight…tonight…”

“Okay, okay,” Kaiba said, unsure of what to do because internally, he was panicking. He hadn’t considered that this wouldn’t last. Maybe there was a way to keep Yugi away until he’d had a second go?

“He can’t see me like this,” Yami hissed, his eyes burning with humiliation at the memory of Yugi walking in on him. “Not again.”

“Again?” Kaiba echoed, his mind churning with scenarios as he wondered what the pharaoh meant. “You have to tell me later. First, get back in bed. I’ll bring you some water.”

Yami shook his head mutely but let Kaiba sweep him off his feet and deposit him gently atop the mattress. He kept his eyes glued to Kaiba’s bare buttocks as the CEO strode into the bathroom to grab a damp towel. Closing his eyes, Yami leaned back on the mattress, his head spinning with a mixture of guilt and sorrow.

Kaiba stood at the edge of the bed and gently dabbed at his skin, his expression somber, mirroring his internal feelings exactly.

“I’ll find a way to convince him again,” Yami said, trying to make it seem like this wasn’t the last time they would be connecting. “Perhaps you could…offer him something too, Kaiba. Offer to buy him unlimited meals at that burger place he likes so much.”

“So, you want to bribe him?” Kaiba summarized with a handsome grin, and he tossed the towel aside after wiping himself off. “I’m fine with it. Just don’t tell him we talked about it. Agree?”

“Agree,” Yami echoed, seeing Kaiba’s hand coming for his, and their fingers laced tightly together causing the skin on his hand to burn pleasantly. “We won’t waste time with a duel next time.”

“You fucking bet,” Kaiba growled, draping his arm around Yami’s chest and pinning him down on the bed, burying his nose into Yami’s hair, enjoying their closeness.  
Yami had accepted him, at long last, physical flaws and all.  
He’d never be able to imagine this type of bond with anyone else.  
He’d do anything to hold onto this person for the rest of his life.

Yami smiled, amused at Kaiba’s blunt language, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the sounds of Kaiba’s soft breathing beside his ear. How nice. He could really get used to this.

He shivered from the cold and gave Kaiba a nudge.

“Can we get underneath?” Yami asked, and he turned his head to glance at the CEO, surprised to see he’d fallen fast asleep, his face peaceful and angelic.

Yami marveled at the sight and gently rested his hand on Kaiba’s cheek, stamping every inch of his handsome face into his memory before he closed his eyes and let himself drift off too.

* * *

Yugi stepped out of the soul room and saw Yami rushing past him and slam the door across the way, leaving him alone in the hall.

W-What the heck was that?!

“Pharaoh?” Yugi called, knocking briefly on Yami’s black, soul door, listening for a response, and when he got none, he sighed. Maybe Yami was embarrassed. Or upset.

Closing his eyes, Yugi waited for the odd floating sensation to consume his entire body before he opened his eyes again, shocked to find himself staring directly into Kaiba’s sleeping face…and his hand was resting casually on his cheek.

“AHHH!” Yugi cried, and he rolled away furiously, realizing with a horrified shock that he was completely naked, purple kiss marks covered his inner thighs, and worst of all….a throbbing pain reverberated up his spine from his asshole which stung every time he clenched.

 _O-Oh…my god…!_ Yugi paled, seeing Kaiba sit up groggily and drape a pale arm over his chest, pinning him back down on the bed.

“Stop screaming,” Kaiba mumbled, nuzzling his nose into the crook of Yami’s ear, feeling him tense way too much and tremble violently. He took a tentative inhale and wondered why the exotic scent had vanished.

Oh…fuck no.

“K-Kaiba-kun…please get off me,” Yugi whispered, unable to stop himself from staring at Kaiba’s exposed crotch.

Oh god. It was big even when flaccid.  
Oh god.  
There were kiss marks on Kaiba’s thighs too.  
Oh god.  
Y-Yami had done _that_ with Kaiba!

Kaiba cracked his eyes open angrily, his chest curling with a mixture of fury and disappointment. Fuckkkkkkk.

“I’ll be right..back, don’t touch me while I’m asleep!” Yugi said, attempting to glare, but he only managed to look mildly frightened, and Kaiba watched as Yugi laid down and closed his eyes.  
  
Shit. The pharaoh was in trouble and it was his fault.  
Was it his fault?

Kaiba shook his head and waited for Yugi to emerge, trying to quell the anxiety bubbling in his chest. He had to remember what Yami said.  
Bribe Yugi with burgers, right?  
But what if that wasn’t enough?

Inside his soul room, Yugi stormed into Yami’s side without knocking, ignoring the horrible throbbing pain in his hole that was steadily traveling down his legs.

He found the Pharaoh sitting nervously on one of the steps leading up to a door, looking fearfully at him.

“Y-Yugi...” Yami began, but his Aibou barreled over him, his cheeks red with embarrassment and rage.

“I can’t believe how selfish you are!” Yugi shouted, hearing his own voice echoing in the puzzle’s various chambers. “How could you do that to me? And, oh, I don’t know, did you even use a condom because I feel…. I feel… _stuff coming out_!”

“I—” Yami opened his mouth to protest, and his voice died when Yugi continued to rant.

“You couldn’t have been more gentle? That was my first t-time! I mean, y-your first time! I mean, _our_ first time!” Yugi panted, leaning against the doorway for support, unable to shake the images of the dark kiss marks dotting his own thighs, and his stomach churned with a strange feeling.

“I asked him not to,” Yami added unhelpfully, but he wasn’t heard.

“Did you use my mouth too?” Yugi fumed, his face turning dark pink. “I haven’t even kissed anyone yet, and you—you…and Kaiba—”

“He wants to buy you a meal as thanks!” Yami interrupted desperately, feeling an odd pressure building behind his eyes which he recognized as tears of frustration. “Yugi, I am very grateful for the opportunity you gave me—”

“Ha!” Yugi laughed mirthlessly, his eyes also shining with tears. “Well I hope it was worth it, because it’s never happening again!”

“Yugi!” Yami stood anxiously but it was too late. Yugi had slammed the door to his soul room and the lock clicked.

Ah…damn. He was going to have to pick that lock if he wanted any chance of touching Kaiba with Yugi’s body again. Or hope for a duel.  
Yugi would forgive him soon, right?

Back in his room, Kaiba managed to get dressed while Yugi snored lightly on his bed, and he couldn’t help but continue to stare at his naked body.

He was sinning, but he didn’t care.

It had also been fifteen minutes.  
Was he going to sleep all night?

His answer arrived when Yugi sat up blearily and shot him a cold glare.

“Give me my clothes. I’m leaving,” Yugi snapped, inching gingerly off the bed and wincing when his ass hurt.

“Wait,” Kaiba said, automatically walking forward to help him. “We’ll be more careful next time.”

“Don’t want to hear it, Kaiba, let me leave,” Yugi said numbly, scanning the floor and seeing his clothes scattered everywhere. Oh god. This was a mistake!

Kaiba legs appeared in front of him, and Yugi found himself pinned down on the bed again while Kaiba’s handsome face hovered inches from him, the tips of his brown hair brushing his nose ever so gently.

“Let…me…go!” Yugi breathed, his heart threatening to explode out of his chest when he realized Kaiba’s lips were extremely pretty.  
Well…he could see where Yami was coming from.  
But Kaiba was a guy! A very pretty guy…but still, a guy.

Before he could form a second opinion, Yugi’s eyes widened when Kaiba leaned down and kissed him deeply, slipping his tongue in through the tops of his teeth with too much familiarity and sensually roaming the unique ridges along the roof of his mouth.

Yugi froze and held his breath, his chest tightening and swirling with turbulence as Kaiba continued in earnest, threading his hands through his spiky bangs to pull him closer…closer, pressing insistently against him so hard, it made him part his mouth slightly, and their kiss deepened further.

Blinking rapidly, Yugi tried to pull back, but he couldn’t. His body had been possessed by a demon of indecency, and he found himself melting into Kaiba’s touch.  
This was weird…. This was weird!  
Did Kaiba think he was Yami? They kissed…like this?

It was so…tender and passionate. H-How unfair.

“Round two?” Kaiba asked hoarsely as he pulled away to gaze into Yugi’s round face, his heart fluttering incessantly as he studied the plump cheeks dipping down into a sharp jaw.  
Yugi was fucking cute too…in his own way.  
He could easily bully Yugi into letting him see Yami again, and this was the way to do it.  
The line between the twins was thin, and he would walk along it with determination.

“Wrong…person,” Yugi said, trying to sound stern, but his voice shook, which gave his emotions away. He licked his lips, feeling them sting and swell. Kaiba had took his first kiss!  
And it wasn’t…bad!  
Wait. Kaiba had taken his first…everything! Except he didn’t feel it. Yami did.

Swallowing his disappointment, Yugi sat up straighter and pointed at the floor for his clothes, opening his mouth to command Kaiba to pick them up before he found himself being kissed sweetly again. His stomach twisted with arousal, and Yugi jerked his head back, pressing a hand over his mouth to keep it from happening again, but to his horror, Kaiba was leering at him with a grin, pointing a slender index finger down at his legs.

“Look. You’re hard,” Kaiba smiled, his heart thudding loudly in his ears. “Did you like that? We can do it as many times as you want…if you let me see him again.

“Wh-What…?” Yugi breathed, lowering his hands slightly to uncover his lips. “But I’m not…g-gay.”

“But I am,” Kaiba replied with so much certainly, Yugi nearly fell off the bed.

“I’ll make _that_ go away,” Kaiba continued, eyeing Yugi’s boner with a hungry glint in his eye. “And you let him come out for a duel once a week.”

“Once a month,” Yugi countered, and Kaiba shot back instantly with, “Five times a month.”

“Once…every two weeks!” Yugi cried, understanding that he was losing. “And you buy me a box of cards at every release date!”

“Three times every two weeks,” Kaiba argued, his ears burning with determination. “And I’ll throw in a hamburger at that shitty road-side hole you and your friends love so much.”

“You take that back!” Yugi raged, clenching his fists weakly at his sides. “And apologize for being so rough!”

“I will apologize…with my mouth,” Kaiba grinned devilishly, pointing at Yugi’s boner again, and to his extreme satisfaction, Yugi blushed dark red.

“I’ll think about it,” Yugi replied, curling his knees up to his chest. “For now, give me my clothes back.”

Kaiba said nothing and bent down to retrieve Yugi’s clothes off the floor, his chest swirling with triumph. He had to remind himself that he was the real winner today. Yugi would come around eventually if Yami helped coax him into bed, and then the real fun would begin.

* * *

**Author's note:**

a "first touch" sort of feeling!

ART (one sfw, the other....NOTsafeforwork!)

edited by: queenbewd

big big hugs,  
Ugli


	17. Duel of Fate [prideshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba pierces the veil of death to meet his beloved King, and little does he know, it comes with unseen consequences and rewards. Can he deal with the inevitable changes to his universe when he drags the Millennium Puzzle back from the Afterlife?
> 
> TAGS: prideshipping, kaiba x atem, timeshipping, smut, nsfw

****

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 1** **》**

 

Atem rose from his golden throne, his heart thundering in his ears at the sight of Kaiba standing magnificently before him, dressed in clothes he’d never seen before, carrying a new duel disk and raising it to his face with a fiery glare.

“Pharaoh! I challenge you to a duel!” Kaiba’s voice reverberated around them, and several of Atem’s armed men stiffened, their ears ringing with an alien language.

Holding his hand up slowly, Atem nodded at his two guards, dismissing them with a nod, but not before ordering them to bring him his deck.

Unable to tear his gaze away from Kaiba’s tall form, Atem stepped forward and nodded, trying to find his voice, because he had been momentarily shocked speechless. Kaiba looked the same as he’d remembered—tall, wearing his flowing coat, and a haughty, blue eyed glare to match.

The only noticeable difference was his physique. He’d…grown muscular, so much that it was clearly visible underneath his dark clothes.

“I accept,” Atem said warmly, his mind racing with questions.  
What were the strange particles emanating off of Kaiba’s body?  
Was that why he was able to come all the way here, into the Afterlife?  
Or had…Kaiba…died?  
If so, that was very foolish indeed.

“Good,” Kaiba scoffed, taking a few steps back and shoving his deck into the slot of this disk. “I’ve finally found you. Let’s duel, once and for all—”

“Are you dead?” Atem interrupted, his heart skipping nervous beats in his chest as he raked his gaze intrusively up and down Kaiba’s toned body. “Why do you look like that? Where did you come from? Are you real? Or is this a dream?”

“Questions…later,” Kaiba said through gritted teeth, his eyes wild with a familiar look of panic Atem was accustomed to seeing. “I will duel you for the possession of the MillenniumPuzzle.”

Atem blinked, and nodded, glancing at the empty hallway leading into the main courtroom.

“I’m waiting for my men to come back with my deck,” Atem said loftily, eyeing Kaiba’s toned stomach again, feeling his cheeks burn. “How have you been, Kaiba? Or is the small talk beneath you?”

Would it kill the CEO to admit that they’d missed each other? That was why he’d come clambering into this dimension for a duel, right?

“I’ve been…well,” Kaiba answered with effort, lowering his arm as the duel disk began to weigh on him. Fuck. Atem looked so regal…and sexy up close.  
He would’ve never imagined this in a million years.  
He didn’t know what else to say, lest he make a fool of himself.

“I want to know more,” Atem pressed, taking a bold step forward and seeing Kaiba freeze on the spot, looking uncharacteristically…scared?

“What’s gotten into you?” He demanded, and Kaiba opened his mouth to answer, but they were interrupted by a man wearing a white robe, rushing back into the throne room with Atem’s deck stacked neatly on a white, velvet pillow. Under his arm, a wing-shaped duel disk was untucked and handed to the king while he was down on one knee. 

“Thank you, Karim,” Atem gave him a grimacing smile and the man backed away respectfully.

“Aw…look at that,” Kaiba jeered, unable to stop himself from speaking. “Are you fed with a silver spoon too? Do they tuck you into bed and read you bedtime stories?”

“No, but would _you_ like to do that?” Atem countered readily, his tongue nearly twisting on the Japanese that slipped too fast from his mouth.

“Shut up and duel,” Kaiba responded, his chest burning with a strange fire as his eyes followed Atem’s fingers as he shuffled his deck. Finally. After years and years of tests and experiments, he was here, standing with his feet planted firmly apart, in another dimension—Atem’s dimension.

He wasn’t sure how long he had until he faded away completely and forcefully ejected back into his own dimension for being an anomaly, but Kaiba knew he couldn’t leave without the Puzzle in his hands. The Puzzle was the key. He was certain of it.

“What will you give me if I win?” Atem asked, throwing Kaiba a handsome smirk as he backed away several practiced steps and held his duel disk up to show Kaiba that his deck was ready. “How about…a hug?”

“How about a kiss?” Kaiba shot back automatically, unable to stop himself from adding, “and the Puzzle. I can’t leave without it.”  
  
“A kiss?” Atem’s eyes widened gleefully, and he laughed a wonderful, deep laugh that sent a tingle up Kaiba’s spine. “Why, yes! What a good reward indeed! I shall duel you with all my heart, Kaiba.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Kaiba sniffed, placing his palm over his deck, watching every one of Atem’s moves like a hawk. “You first. Ready?”

“Ready,” Atem nodded and drew his first card with a flourish, adding it to his hand and scanning every card, his heart racing with joy. He hadn’t felt this alive since…his last duel with Kaiba, which was…years ago. He couldn’t remember. Better live in the moment now, before this dream ended.

“I set two cards face down and end my turn,” Atem said easily, his eyes following the tips of Kaiba’s beautifully manicured fingers as he fanned his cards out and made his move. He studied every inch of Kaiba’s appearance, taking in his neat hair framing his face and his high, sloping cheekbones that dipped down into a pair of pretty, feminine lips. Yes, a kiss would be so nice…

Monsters appeared on the field, and Atem found his thoughts straying towards Kaiba’s hands, wishing he could do more than just stare.

Kaiba held his cards protectively against his chest, wondering why his heart was thundering too fast. It was getting hard to breathe, but then again, it always felt this way whenever he dueled Atem, and not Yugi, because the _true king_ had always been Atem, and not Yugi.

He saw Atem respond to his move, and he automatically flipped his cards over to retaliate, unable to focus on the duel, but instead, fixating on Atem’s wonderfully tanned legs. His skin seemed to glow under the torch lights surrounding them, and his feet looked incredibly delicate, wearing a pair of white sandals with a simple gold tassel in the middle.  
Cute.  
His foot was tapping.  
It was so fucking cute.

“Kaiba…? … _Kaiba…!”_ Atem drawled, tapping his foot impatiently on the stone floors. “It’s your move.”

“Right,” Kaiba forced himself out of his trance and stared at the cards in his hand, his vision wavering in and out of focus. “I activate my—I mean, the….”  
His voice faltered uncharacteristically.  
He’d lost his train of thought because he’d been thinking about Atem’s legs.

“…The trap card you set…three turns ago?” Atem encouraged gently, seeing Kaiba waver on his feet, and he felt a rush of concern. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“How do you know it was a trap card?” Kaiba shot back in a rush, his ears burning with humiliation. “Joke’s on you, King, it was a magic card.”

“Then activate it!” Atem cried, his angular eyes widening with amusement. “Should we sit down?”

“No, I’m fine,” Kaiba snapped, flipping the card over on his disk and seeing a purple haze blanket the field before them. This duel was almost over anyway.

Atem took a nervous step back to avoid the poison fog, slightly caught off guard, but he was prepared. He reached for the card he had prepared and to his rising dismay, Kaiba held his hand to stop him.

“I’m not finished,” Kaiba said monotonously, summoning the monster from his graveyard and watching Atem’s eyes widen prettily. “Response?”

“No…response,” Atem replied, his eyes darting up and down the field, going from his own hand to Kaiba’s hand, to the field full of monsters. He could…no longer play the card he had planned because Kaiba now had more than three monsters on his side of the field.

“Then I attack,” Kaiba breathed, clenching his fists at his sides and watching his monsters dive at Atem’s field repeatedly until everything was gone, leaving nothing but the horrid purple haze swirling at their feet.

Lowering his arm slowly, Atem smiled shakily and gave Kaiba a respectful nod.

“You win,” he said, growing numb from the mild shock. Kaiba had surpassed him, as expected.

“You didn’t even try!” Kaiba cried, lowering his hand and tucking the rest of his cards back into his deck, his arms shaking furiously. “Did you let me win?”

Atem shook his head tightly, striding across the field to stand before Kaiba again, his heart threatening to explode out of his chest as he gazed up into the CEO’s handsome face.

“As promised, the Puzzle,” he said, his arms straightly heavy as he lifted the rope from around his neck and held the Millennium Item out for Kaiba, seeing his eyes widen before he accepted it with both hands. Strange. How oddly…respectful of Kaiba?

“Cool, thanks,” Kaiba replied despondently, feeling empty as the Puzzle’s weight sagged in his hands.

“Hold your head up, because you won fairly today,” Atem said, deciding not to bring up Kaiba’s previous dirty tactics of standing on ledges and threatening suicide.

“Sure,” Kaiba set his mouth in a tight line, barely able to hear his own thoughts through the horrible rushing in his own ears. He had won, so why did he feel so shitty? Also, why did he feel so…sick?

“…Kaiba,” Atem began, bravely reaching out to place his hand over Kaiba’s curled fist. “I have something I want to tell you. Come closer for a moment?”

“What,” Kaiba could barely speak through his gritted teeth as his world flashed dangerously before his eyes. Was this happening because the pod was unstable or was it because Atem was touching him on his hand for the first time?

His knees weakened, and before he could stop himself or control it, Kaiba found himself sagging forward when a particularly strong wave of nausea overtook him. Atem caught him smoothly and helped to his knees on the ground, his hand placed firmly in the center of his chest, the warmth from his skin seeping rapidly in through his clothes.

“My connection is…weak,” Kaiba said his voice cracking uncharacteristically. His hearing was fading into ringing. He could hear the hum of the air circulating in the pod beside his ear.  
He was being pulled back into his reality.  
How long did he have with Atem until that happened?

“Ah, you mean, your internet…connection?” Atem wondered, tilting his head to the side, and Kaiba’s chest ached when he let out a barking laugh.

“My connection between my world and yours,” Kaiba whispered, tightening his grip over the Puzzle’s rope. “…Fuck. I might really be killing myself this time.”

“Then stop it,” Atem reprimanded, unsure of what he was even talking about. “Look at me.”

Kaiba raised his head automatically and wasn’t prepared for Atem’s face coming towards his. Their lips met, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, feeling a hot fire searing through his chest as he parted his lips to deepen the kiss, but Atem pulled away too fast, leaving a pit of dread swirling low in his stomach. What? What the hell was that? A kiss? Was it bad?! Was it his breath? Did it taste bad? Why did he pull away so fast?

“I…thought it was a good idea at the time,” Atem said, looking away in embarrassment, his cheeks bright pink. “Forgive me.”

Kaiba stared, trying to find the right words so he could shout them at his spiky-haired rival, but his world flashed dangerously white again, and he swayed, feeling faint.

“Kaiba…?!” Atem cried, giving Kaiba a shake, and gently laying him down on the stone floor, his heart sinking with anxiety. “Are you—”

“…Again…” Kaiba said weakly, reaching his hand up and feeling Atem lace his fingers tightly through his, and that warmed him up considerably. “Kiss me…again…”

Atem nervously scanned Kaiba’s body, noticing that his legs were slowly fading into transparency, and he could see the texture of the stone through his slender thighs.  
  
Kaiba was…disappearing?!

Atem ran his hands desperately down the front of Kaiba’s toned chest, feeling his heart thumping rapidly underneath his palms in response when their eyes met.

Kaiba was disappearing right before his very eyes!

Diving down to throw his arms around Kaiba’s neck in a tight embrace, Atem messily pressed his lips against Kaiba’s half-parted ones and kissed him furiously. Their teeth bumped, and their timing was off, but neither seemed to care.

Kaiba snaked his hand around behind Atem’s spiky hair, enjoying the texture while his fingers slowly grew numb. Oh fuck. This was death…but it was a glorious death….

Atem’s tongue slid sensuously in through the tops of teeth, and Kaiba shot his own tongue out to greet him eagerly, tasting the sweet, wonderful freshness of Atem’s breath.  
He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think and he couldn’t breathe….  
He could only feel the soft warmth of Atem at his side which was slowly fading.

“Kaiba…don’t you dare…!” Atem shouted, gripping Kaiba’s hand tightly, but his fingers closed around air as Kaiba’s thin silhouette faded into nothing, leaving only the soft particles floating around him, reminding him of what he’d just lost.

Heartbroken, Atem glared at the Puzzle on the ground, wondering why it didn’t disappear along with Kaiba. He had won it fair and square….

His vision swam dangerously as tears burned in his eyes.  
He knew his connection to Kaiba had been strong. Today, it had solidified into something real, but Kaiba vanished after their first meaningful contact.

Reaching blindly for the Puzzle, Atem was shocked to see his entire hand pass through it.

It stayed stubbornly in place, but it was no longer solid.

Sitting back on his heels, Atem lowered his head and brushed the tears off his cheeks.  
Kaiba had the Puzzle now.  
That was the only comforting thought he had.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 2** **》**

  
Kaiba opened his eyes, feeling his lids sting, so he closed them again, hearing nothing but the low hiss of a humidifier beside his head.

He wiggled his fingers and realized the nodes he’d had attached to every finger were no longer there.  Instead, it had been replaced with a pulse oximeter clamped tightly over his index finger. His cheeks ached from the oxygen mask strapped across his face, and Kaiba tried to turn his head, but realized his neck was extremely stiff, so he stopped trying.

“He’s awake!”

Mokuba’s voice could be heard shouting through the walls.

“I saw him move just now! GO! GET IN THERE!”

Biting back a groan, Kaiba breathed shallowly, because every time he tried to inhale, a sharp pain would stab him through the chest. Undoubtedly…heartbreak from Atem’s mournful parting.

They had kissed! Not once, but twice!

Kaiba’s mood lightened considerably, and he could hear the heart monitor’s beeping increase beside his head just as footsteps approached his bedside, speaking gruffly, “elevated heart rate…not good…”

 _I’m fine!_ Kaiba screamed inside his head, wiggling his fingers again. He felt cool hands pry his eyelids back, and a thick liquid was dropped into his eyes, bringing relief to the stinging pain.

He blinked slowly, letting his vision slowly focus on the strips of fluorescent lights above his head.

Great. He was alive…but without Atem in this dimension.

“Mr. Kaiba, can you hear me?” the doctor called loudly over his head, and Kaiba winced.  
Yes, he wasn’t deaf.

“Blink once for yes,” the man said, and Kaiba closed his eyes and opened them slowly, hating everything.

“Good…you’ve suffered a…”

Kaiba couldn’t hear the rest of what the doctor said. His ears rang, and he could still hear Atem’s voice in the back of his head, calling his name.

The Puzzle! Where was it?!

Jerking his head up frantically, Kaiba felt many hands pressing him back down into the bed, and his heart rate beeped like crazy on the monitor beside him.

“Mr. Kaiba, please!” The doctor protested, giving Mokuba a frantic look through the glass window, shaking his head. “Calm down! You are in a hospital! You are safe!”

 _I know that, you fucking idiot!_ Kaiba opened his mouth to shout but his chest burned when he realized…he had a tube down his throat. Fuck…this! He wasn’t sick or dying! He had successfully crossed a barrier into another dimension and won back that cursed pendant.  
Now where was it?!

Straining his neck up, Kaiba saw the doctor’s face hover into view, his brow furrowed so much, his face mask wrinkled.

“We can remove the tube in a week when you are stable,” the doctor said firmly, nodding at the nurse who was patting his arm where several drips were inserted. “In the meantime, you are to stay on the medication and get some rest. Good to know you are conscious and mentally present.”

He felt the bed jolt slightly, and the nurse gasped in protest, “Mokuba-kun! Please! Be very careful!”

“Seto! Seto?! You almost died, you stupid dummy!” His brother shouted in his face, causing flecks of spit to land on his cheeks. “You destabilized the environment in the pod with the Puzzle! Why did you do that to yourself? You could’ve suffered brain damage!”

Kaiba waved his hand weakly at Mokuba, which seemed to further incense his little brother.

“That thing is made of pure gold!” Mokuba spat, and he was pulled away by the nurse while he continued to rant. “And why did it take you a whole year to wake up? Hm?! Tell me!”

The door slammed and Kaiba kept his gaze fixed on the lights hanging above his head.

Well shit. That was a year-long duel even though it felt like five seconds. That kiss was pitiful. It wasn’t enough…

“We’ll be increasing your medication,” the doctor said, somewhere to his left, and Kaiba ignored him, immediately growing drowsy.

Aside from the humiliating position he’d woken up in, he had to remind himself that he was the real winner here. The Puzzle was his at last, and soon, along with it—Atem himself.

  
  
 **《** **CHAPTER 3** **》**

  
  
Atem and his priests gathered around the mirage of the MillenniumPuzzle, bending over it and taking turns touching it, stepping on it, trying to pick it up, and someone had even called for a jug of water to be poured over the spot, and nothing had happened.

It was like the spot contained the memory of the Puzzle, but the physical object was no longer there.

“How strange,” Mahad mused, prodding the transparent image of the Puzzle with the end of his staff. “We should cordon off this area and take turns checking to see if it changes.”

Atem nodded, and felt everyone else nod in agreement before dispersing, leaving Mana standing apprehensively at his side, wringing her robes in her hands while she stared at the Puzzle on the ground.

“I might have read something about this,” Mana commented, looking wistful. “I think it was called Transference. It happens whenever parts of our soul are taken out of this realm.”

“You think a part of my soul is missing?” Atem asked incredulously, and he couldn’t help but agree. Kaiba had a piece of his heart, and his soul. He’d taken it, with that sloppy excuse for a kiss.

“Or something,” Mana said vaguely, shrugging her beautiful, tanned shoulders. “Perhaps because you owned the Puzzle in this life, a piece of your soul is tethered to it, hence…Transference.”

“I don’t understand,” Atem said, shaking his head sadly.

“I will bring you the book I read it in,” Mana said, her eyes gleaming with determination. “Wait here, okay?”

“Of course,” Atem replied, slowly making his way to his throne to sit down, surveying the empty room around him. Propping his head up on his arm with a sigh, he crossed his legs and kicked them back and forth aimlessly.

He missed Kaiba already.

Hopefully that CEO wasn’t doing anything crazy or stupid.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 4** **》**

  
Kaiba was re-learning how to walk without support, and he tried to skip several steps by launching himself off his crutches into the nearest wall.

He went crashing to the ground with a painful clatter, and he cursed, hating the nurse at his side who constantly begged him to slow down.

“Mr. Kaiba, please,” the nurse begged, wiping a bead of sweat off his brow. “Recovery is a process. It takes small steps, not large… _lunges!_ ”

“Shut up and get me some tea, why don’t you?” Kaiba shot back venomously, and to his rising annoyance, the man bowed and hurried off to do as he was told.

What the fuck. This private hospital was Mokuba’s top choice, and he was beginning to see why his little brother preferred this location compared to their usual one.

The medical staff here were so eager to please. And this hospital was further from home, therefore, further away from his lab. Mokuba’s goal was to force him to focus on recovery from his year-long coma and make him ‘forget about work’ for a bit.  
As if.  
He could easily forget about Atem if he stopped breathing.

Tucking the crutch under his arm, Kaiba struggled to his feet, silently cursing.  
For Atem. He needed to fucking regain his strength for Atem.  
When he wasn’t doing physical therapy, he was strapped to the hospital bed, with the Puzzle pieces scattered in his lap.  
He had brought it back…but in pieces. That would explain why the pod destabilized so fast, wrenching him too suddenly from Atem’s dimension, nearly causing brain damage.

 _Joke’s on them, I’m already damaged_ , Kaiba thought dryly, struggling to hobble back into his room. He could see the pieces gleaming on the table hugging the window, and he inched towards them one slow step at a time, huffing with effort.

Fuck this.

Shoving his crutches aside, Kaiba sank into the chair and gathered the broken pieces together, turning each one over in his hand, letting the sun catch on the sharp angles, nearly blinding him with its brightness.

He picked up another piece and weighed it in his left hand. The density of it was reassuring. He placed it together with the jagged piece in his right hand, and they didn’t fit.

Turning them over, Kaiba fitted them together in another way, and another way, sighing, and picking up another piece, methodically stacking the pieces that didn’t fit into its own pile. He could fucking do this. It was basic logic. Hold one piece and fit every other piece with it.  
  
He knew Yugi was a fucking child when he first encountered this Puzzle, and if it took him eight years to piece this thing together for Atem to appear, he could do it in eight months, which was right around his release date.  
Perfect timing.  
 _If_ he could complete it in eight months.  
And provided no pieces were missing.

Biting back a sigh, Kaiba squared his shoulders back with determination and picked up another jagged piece of the Puzzle.

Did they fit?

The metal clicked, almost sticking together with a magnetic force, and Kaiba let his breath out in a slow hiss. Victory!

“Mr. Kaiba!” the nurse’s voice rang out from behind him, and a steaming cup of tea appeared under his nose. “We weren’t finished! We still have another hour of walking. Please, come this way…”

Grinding his teeth furiously, Kaiba let the nurse help him out of the chair and hand him his crutches again.

“We’ll go to the park…” the man said weakly, unable to meet his gaze, and Kaiba hobbled past him, ignoring him viciously.

The sooner he finished this fucking lame-ass therapy, he could sit down again and focus on the Puzzle. For Atem.  
Everything was for Atem.  
He would not stop, and he would not give up until the One True King was back in this world, in his arms, gazing lovingly up at him with those beautiful angular violet eyes.

  
 **《** **CHAPTER 5** **》**

 

Atem sat at the head of the dining table, absently poking at his food. He wasn’t hungry. He was lonely and pent up.

He’d been having non-stop dreams about Kaiba and his improved physique, so much that most mornings, he’d wake up with cum between his legs after a particularly vivid dream. He thought he was over wetting himself in bed but kissing Kaiba seemed to have an intense effect on him.

He had also been guiltily sneaking peeks at Seth, but thankfully, his advisor was away in a neighboring city for the week. Pushing his plate away with a sigh, Atem rose to his feet and heard priestess Isis calling after him.

“Feeling unwell, my king?”

Atem turned to give her a reassuring nod over his shoulder before sweeping out of the dining hall, seeing many palace maidens carrying fresh linens, neatly folded in baskets propped on their heads or their hips, chatting merrily underneath the hot afternoon sun.

A woman wearing a dark cloak in the sweltering heat was the center of attention, and Atem walked magnetically towards her, feeling his shoulders burn the moment he stepped out from the shade.

People parted to let him through, and the woman bowed her head politely to him, not rising from her seat to bow properly.

“My king,” she rasped, holding out a hand that had taut, young skin. “How may I be of service? Are you seeking a favorable fortune? Or the week’s weather forecast? Or perhaps…a compatibility test with any of these beautiful ladies here?”

A ripple of giggles erupted around him, and Atem tried his best not to flush with embarrassment.

“All three, Madame,” a girl at his side encouraged, and everyone around him nodded, setting their baskets down on the ground and fanning themselves in the heat while they waited.

There was a silence, before the woman stiffened her seat and raised her arms eerily over her head, waving to and fro in the heat, the dark sleeves of her robes sliding up her arms to reveal dark tattoos crawling up her elbows.

“A great change is coming!” she chanted, her hood falling dramatically off her head, and Atem stared at her in shock, noticing that her eyes had been gouged out, leaving nothing but two dark, wrinkly sockets.

“A great change is coming!” the women around him chorused.

Atem felt himself break out into a cold sweat.  
This was the strangest fortune telling he’d had by far.

“Food will be plenty, and the rains will come, followed by wind, and more rain!” the woman shrieked, and the girls around him nodded their heads in approval.

“Your heart is weak towards men,” she finished gravely, and there was a collective gasp in the group. “The spirits are saying you will devour a man before the moon rounds this month.”

She collapsed in a tired heap on the bevel of the fountain she’d been sitting on, and Atem felt everyone’s stares burning into him, setting his skin on fire. The silence was so thick, Atem was suffocating.

“The Madame is never wrong,” the woman to his right insisted, and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

Atem’s stomach curled with anxiety and resentment as he thanked the fortune teller quickly and hurried back into the safety of the shaded palace halls. That had been nightmarish.  
  
Rushing back into his room, Atem slammed the door and leaned against it, glaring at every piece of furniture and feeling his frustration bubble over. Throwing himself down on the bed, Atem draped an arm over his eyes, hating how he could feel a heat-induced headache coming on around his temples.

It was too hot….  
He missed Kaiba, and this sweltering heat was unbearable….

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 6** **》**

  
Kaiba sat down behind the desk in his hospital suite again, drawing the curtains over the sunny window, because the Puzzle pieces were blinding him every time he glanced down at them.

Leaning his crutches against the edge of the desk, he sank into the seat and nearly burned his fingertips on the nearest Puzzle piece.

He cursed loudly and stuck the pad of his finger in his mouth, his skin stinging horribly.

F-Fuck. He was never leaving this shit by the window next time.

Waiting for the metal to cool, Kaiba leaned back into his chair and sighed, closing his eyes and trying to imagine Atem’s expression during their kiss.

Nothing came to his mind. He couldn’t do it.

Opening his eyes, he swept his gaze over the scattered pieces and felt a headache coming on. This wasn’t impossible. Just…annoying.

Snatching two pieces up with renewed vigor, Kaiba clinked them together and they fell apart in his hands. Damn.  
He reached for another piece, desperately wishing he could be back in his lab, so he could scan the pieces into a simulator and have the program do this for him, but Mokuba had imprisoned him in this damn hospital.  
Damn.  
  
Fitting another two pieces together, Kaiba sighed with relief when they fit. He compared them to the other completed section he had, and his shoulders sagged.

Great. These four pieces didn’t remotely look like they could fit together.

A soft knock sounded at his door and Kaiba’s eyelid twitched irritably. Someone was always knocking, so much that he couldn’t even masturbate in his own time while thinking about Atem. This place was the fucking worst!

“Master Kaiba?” The door remained politely shut, and there was another knock.

“Isono!” Kaiba cried hoarsely, immensely happy to see his manservant. “Come in.”

Isono pushed the door open quietly and stepped inside the suite, noting that Master Kaiba looked well, and the color had somewhat returned to his face, mainly because he was sitting by the large window.

“I come bringing visitors,” the manservant said, and Kaiba’s spirits fell significantly.

“I was thinking you could bring me my laptop,” Kaiba said darkly, turning back to the Puzzle pieces on his table. “Go and get it. It’s in my lab downstairs.”

“You have a laptop there,” Isono said gently, nodding at the silver electronic sitting neglected on the coffee table by a set of leather couches. “Is that one broken?”

“No, that is a blank piece of shit Mokuba gave me to drive me insane,” Kaiba responded, his cheeks burning with frustration. “I’m asking nicely, old man. _Please_ go fetch my laptop from my _lab_.”

“I will…try,” Isono nodded stiffly, bowing again. “May the visitors I brought come in now? It’s Master Yugi and his friend, Miss Mazaki. They are very worried about you.”

“Fuck,” Kaiba muttered, opening the desk drawers and carefully setting the pieces inside them to hide it. He had lined the bottoms of each drawer with spare microfiber cloth he’d stolen from the cleaning crew during his ‘walks’ through the halls, because he had to remember that the Puzzle was ultimately a piece of jewelry, and if it was incredibly old, he needed to keep it in pristine shape.

Yugi had kept it in a fucking…. metal box of sorts.  
How did Atem live with that peasant shit?

Easing the drawer shut, Kaiba nodded at Isono.

“Let them in.” he said stiffly, swiveling his chair around and gracefully crossing one leg over the other. He would not lose his composure even though he was trapped here, stuck on crutches. He still had a name to uphold, dammit.

Isono nodded and hurried out of the room, returning just as quickly with two familiar faces.

Yugi stepped tentatively into the room, feeling Anzu squeeze his arm when they saw Kaiba sitting regally at the far end of the room, his silhouette framed with white light coming from the window behind his head, making him look oddly ethereal.

Kaiba gave Yugi a stiff nod and saw the spiky-haired man gape at him. From a distance, Yugi only bore a slight resemblance to the pharaoh. Only a blind man could confuse the two.

“Oh my gosh! You’re okay!” Anzu gushed, giving Kaiba a warm smile that was reciprocated with a cold glare.

“Yes, Kaiba-kun…what happened?” Yugi asked awkwardly, his gaze lingering on the crutches leaning against the wall beside the desk, to Kaiba’s stony expression. “Can you walk?”

“Of course I can walk,” Kaiba seethed, his eyes burning with a mixture of fury and humiliation. “Tell me what happened the second you completed the Millennium Puzzle.”

There was a tense silence in the room, and Yugi carefully digested Kaiba’s question. Why was the CEO so interested all of a sudden? No. He knew why. It was no secret that Kaiba Corporation had spent millions of dollars developing…something, that was kept from the media, but it was very obvious that Kaiba had something up his sleeve when he shut himself away in his expansive property for months at a time.

“Well?” Kaiba prompted, lacing his fingers together and propping his elbows up on the arm rests of his chair. “Speak, Yugi. I don’t have all day.”

“…I just…met Atem,” Yugi replied in a small voice, looking grief stricken. “He just…appeared to me the moment I put the last piece in place, and I thought he wanted to control me, but we became friends…”

Kaiba rolled his eyes, hating how he had encountered the word ‘friends’ again.

He didn’t want to be _‘friends’_ with Atem. He wanted to obtain the pharaoh’s soul through the Puzzle, so they could spend eternity together. Why couldn’t Yugi get that?

“I hope you didn’t try to disturb him while he’s at peace,” Yugi said perceptively, scanning Kaiba’s room again for tell-tale signs of Millennium Items. “He deserves a peaceful rest in the Afterlife.”

“…With me,” Kaiba added evenly, noticing Anzu’s eyes widening.  
  
“You don’t know what he wants.” The CEO added, crossing his arms defensively as his stomach churned with uncertainty. He didn’t know what Atem wanted, but that kiss had to mean something, right?

“I know he’s _tired_ ,” Yugi said instantly, looking angrier by the second. “He has family waiting for him, you know? You can’t just…disturb him—”

“I’ve had it with you,” Kaiba fumed, gripping the armrests of his chair with whitened fingertips, wondering if he could stand so he could tower threateningly over Yugi. “Get out.”

He received exasperated looks from Anzu and Yugi as the pair stood there silently, begging him with their eyes. What? He wasn’t going to sit here and be lectured by Yugi about being _polite._ Yugi had his bond with Atem, and he had his own.  
Yugi never understood. If anything, he was always _in the way._

“I said…get _out_ ,” Kaiba enunciated, narrowing his eyes threateningly, and he saw Yugi shake his head sadly and make his way to the door, throwing him one last forlorn look over his shoulder before stepping outside, with Anzu following closely behind.

The door clicked shut and Kaiba palmed his face tiredly. What a fucking nightmare. Of course Yugi wouldn’t condone his actions of pulling the Pharaoh back into this realm, but Yugi already had his time with Atem! It was his turn now!

“Master Kaiba?” Isono asked hopefully, bobbing his head respectfully at the young master. “Shall I go as well?”

“Yeah, and don’t come back until you have my shit,” Kaiba snapped, swiveling his chair back around to face the blank space on his desk. He waited until he heard the door shut, and he let out an annoyed sigh.

Five more months of this hell before he could return home and ditch the godforsaken crutches.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 7** **》**

  
Atem’s eyelids fluttered, but he willed himself to stay asleep. He was having such an interesting dream.

Kaiba was nearby, and so was Yugi…and, Anzu?

They were talking about something, but he could barely hear it. Everything was muffled.

Turning over onto his side uncomfortably, Atem felt oddly empty inside. A deep-seated longing had taken hold in the pit of his stomach, and every time he closed his eyes, he felt restless, but when he was awake, he was never tired.  
  
Deep down, he dreaded what this meant.  
He’d experienced this type of restlessness when imprisoned in the Puzzle. 

What did this mean?!

Sitting up slowly, Atem pried his eyes open and glanced down at his bare legs, shocked to see that a chunk of his ankle was see-through. The white sheets were clearly visible underneath that part of his leg, and he froze in horror, realizing that a part of his soul was indeed missing from this realm.

It was with…Kaiba, wasn’t it?

His body had slowly disappeared piece by piece once before, but it had been steady, gradual, and he had barely noticed until it was too late. Did this mean Kaiba was trying to pull him back into modern life?

Swinging his legs over the edge of his bed, Atem held his hands up in front of his face to block the sunlight filtering in through the curtains. To his relief, his hands were still solid.

Atem sighed nervously and decided he had to tell Mana. If he disappeared suddenly again, he was sure it would break her heart. After his return, she had clung to him tearfully for weeks on end, never letting him out of her sight, even at mealtime. It was starting to get wearing, and she had only _just_ stopped.

Now it was happening all over again.

Dashing out of his room, he ran nose-first into Mahad, and his protector smiled kindly down at him.

“Atem!” Madad’s eyes wrinkled softly at the corners. Atem blinked, trying to say ‘hello’ in return, but his world flashed for a moment, and all he could see was Kaiba’s angry face, hovering above him, looking incensed.

_“FUCK THIS…SHIT! Fuck Yugi and his—”_

“Atem?!” Mahad’s face swam into view, and Atem realized he was on the ground on his back, staring up at the palace ceiling high above him.

“I’m…unwell,” Atem said shakily, allowing Mahad to sit him up strongly, and his head spun with a strange dizziness.

“It’s because your Puzzle is gone,” Mahad breathed, raking his gaze down the king’s chest. “Let’s hope whoever disturbed it will return it. Are you having visions of a dark room again?”

“No...quite the opposite,” Atem said weakly, accepting the strong hand helping him to his feet and he swayed slightly where he stood.  
Oh gods.  
He was now having visions of…Kaiba!  
Yugi had kept the Puzzle safely in a dark box somewhere, which was why his visions were uneventful, black-out sessions. But Kaiba was different. Extremely different.  
He was being shouted at, and something had happened with Yugi.

“I’m going to tell Mana,” Mahad said darkly, giving Atem’s arm a reassuring squeeze. “Can you stand? Stay here! I must go find her! We’ll tether you to this world with the correct spell this time!”

Atem opened his mouth to protest, but his protector had already rushed away, his robes billowing behind him as he ran. He wouldn’t mind if he was wrenched from this world and back into the confines of the Puzzle.  
Pain was only temporary.  
He would heal.

And Yugi was merely a boy at the time. It took him several weeks to recuperate, lying dormant in the Puzzle’s many rooms, biding his time, only emerging to help Yugi when he was in trouble.  
  
Atem was sure that this time, with Kaiba, things would be incredibly different.

Leaning against a nearby pillar, Atem shut his eyes and heard voices echoing tinny in his own head. Ah...the feelings of madness would soon follow. But this time, he was prepared.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Atem curled his fist against the pillar’s cold surface and listened intently to the voices inside his own head. It sounded like…Kaiba was…arguing with someone.

 _“…You won’t let me leave, so I’ll never get better!”_ Kaiba’s voice, sounding almost desperate. _“Please, Mokuba. You’re being so fucking unreasonable.”_

 _“Seto…ugh,”_ Mokuba’s voice sounded different—older. “ _Look. If you can show me that you can eat when the nurses tell you to and stop sitting at that damn desk all day, doing god-knows-what, then maybe I’ll let you have your laptop!”_

 _“You’re the worst jailer ever,”_ Kaiba muttered, and Mokuba slammed the door.

Atem opened his eyes and saw his own shoes swim into view. Kaiba was…hurt?

“Ateeeeem!” Mana rushed at him and flung her arms around his waist, nearly toppling him over with the force of her hug. “Did you faint? I heard you fainted!”

“M-Mana…I’m fine,” Atem mumbled, feeling Mahad stand protectively behind him and rest a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ve prepared the circle already,” he said in a deep voice, and Atem felt a pang of fear sear through his chest. He didn’t want to be subjected to various unproven spells…but he couldn’t protest, because Mana gave him the largest, puppy-eyed look, so he relented, allowing her to lead him through the palace to their Casting room, with Mahad close at his heels.

They passed Rishid in the hallways, and they exchanged formal nods.

Gritting his teeth in anxiety, Atem let Mana pull him down a set of stairs and nudge him into a dark room lit only by candles and oil lamps. The air was cool and damp here, and a welcome breeze was coming from somewhere above them.

“Watch your step,” Mana said blithely, and Atem lifted his foot tentatively, seeing a line of salt piled neatly in a line on the ground before him.

He stepped over it and watched Mana fluff a cushion for him in the center of the salt ring and point at it bossily. “Sit.”

The door creaked shut with a heavy bang! and Mahad stood silently beside it with his arms clasped in front of him. Atem bit back a cold shiver. He didn’t…want this…

“What if this makes it more painful when I do get pulled away from this realm?” Atem asked nervously, shaking his head. “Let’s not.”

“NO. I won’t lose you again!” Mana whispered tearfully, pointing a slender finger down at the cushion. “Sit please. I won’t ask you again, ‘temu.”

Atem sighed and kneeled on top of the cushion, deeply apprehensive. Mana and Mahad had tried this once before and it didn’t work. What made them think it would work now? The power of the Puzzle went beyond their understanding.

He heard liquid splashing in a bowl, and Mana danced around him, chanting and singing. Trying not to roll his eyes, Atem did as he was told and sat very still, hearing Kaiba’s thoughts in his head increase tenfold the longer Mana continued to hum and walk around him in a circle, occasionally splashing water in his face.

Wincing, Atem felt it drip down his chin, and he glanced down at his hands in his lap, horrified to see tiny red droplets dotting his skin. Okay…. Mana was…flicking blood at him. Nice.  
Kaiba would laugh his ass off if he knew what was happening right now.

“Now give me your hand!” Mana demanded, and Atem stuck out his arm lazily, seeing Mana grab it and draw a strange diagram on it with her dark, bloodied finger.

The metallic scent stung his nose, and Atem bit his tongue, resisting the urge to jerk his hand back. He would bear with it…only because he loved Mana dearly and she believed this would work.  
It wouldn’t.  
He knew that, but couldn’t bring himself to argue with her.

“Done!” she announced, and Atem yanked his hand back to inspect the mark on his palm.

It was a pentacle of sorts, one often seen in illustrations on Pegasus’s cards. His skin crawled, and Atem reached out to wipe it off, but Mana cried out, “don’t! You must wait until it dries, and then leave it on overnight!”

Disgusted, Atem nodded, and held his own arm away from himself.  
His body tingled strangely, and he ignored it.

“May I go now?” He asked lightly, trying to keep the impatience from leaking into his voice. “I’d like to lay down.”

“I’ll escort you back into your room, my king,” Mahad said, opening the door for him. Atem rose unsteadily to his feet, purposely disrupting the salt ring and hearing Mana shriek in despair.

“THE BARRIER!”

“S-Sorry!” Atem cried, pretending to trip forward to hang onto Mahad’s arm, but his protector was sharp, and caught onto this. He received a cold glare and silence as he was led through the halls of the palace and back into his room before Mahad confronted him with a steely glare.

“Pharaoh,” Mahad began, gripping his staff tightly. “I know you did that on purpose. What’s gotten into you?”

Atem gazed pleadingly into his protector’s face, his ears burning with embarrassment as he confessed, “Seto Kaiba is the owner of the MillenniumPuzzle this time around.”

Mahad paled visibly and blinked.

“WHAT?!” he roared, and Atem winced, placing his hands together out of habit and closing one eye, begging for silence.  
  
“Please, not so loud,” Atem breathed, and Mahad shook his head incredulously at the king, taking in his strange body language.

“What is that? Who are you praying to?” Mahad demanded, and Atem separated his hands hastily, nearly bending himself into an apologetic bow before he stopped himself.

W-What was wrong with his body?!

“You’re behaving strangely,” Mahad shook his head sadly, turning to face the door so that he wouldn’t show the king his sorrowful face. “Stranger than last time. I wish you well, my king. I will help Mana clean up the rooster’s blood now…”

Atem blinked rapidly and watched his protector sweep out of his room, leaving him standing alone in the ringing silence.

After a heartbeat, Atem raced into the bathroom and shoved his arms into the bucket of water sitting by the window, vigorously scrubbing the blood off his hands. Damn this…damn…blood…!

Atem froze, wondering why he was cursing so much in his mind now.

This was bad…  
Perhaps he had a soul connection to Kaiba now that Kaiba had the Puzzle?

Rising to his feet, Atem wiped his arm off on a towel, not caring that he was smearing blood everywhere. He needed to watch the sky tonight and look for the moon.

The fortune teller had said ‘before the moon rounds this month’. That was probably his best hint for now.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 8** **》**

 

Kaiba was walking through a flat, white expanse, with nothing around him for miles as far as the eye could see. He was lost, or he was dreaming.  It was both. He was lost in this strange dream.

He could hear sobbing, and it was driving him insane. There was a tiny dot in the distance, so Kaiba hurried towards it, thankful that, at least in his dreams, he could run and walk normally.

He slowed his pace when he saw a tiny child huddled on the ground on his knees, shocked when he realized that this child had tanned skin and wild, spiky, three-colored hair.

“Hey…hey, kid,” Kaiba stood over the sobbing child before deciding it was better to kneel beside him and help him up.

An adorable, chubby face turned to face him, with wet, angular eyes that were puffy at the corners.

“W-Who are you?” Child-Atem asked, looking deeply stricken. “Where’s Papa?”

“I…don’t know,” Kaiba answered truthfully, giving the child’s hand a warm squeeze. “Why are you here?”

“I don’t know!” The child protested, crossing his arms firmly, and Kaiba stared at the golden armbands decorating his tiny, tanned arms, his heart wrenching with affection.

“Alright, come with me,” Kaiba said, wondering where this dream was taking him, but shoved his doubts aside. When it came to crazy hallucinations inside his head regarding ancient Egypt, Atem, and Duel Monsters, he’d learned to shut up and go with the flow…to an extent.

A hot, clammy hand grabbed onto his index finger and Kaiba’s heart skipped a nervous beat.

“Now take me home,” the tiny king demanded, glaring up at Kaiba with his large eyes. “Seth?”

Kaiba blinked rapidly and said nothing.  
Right.  
His ancient Egyptian look-alike was named Seth.

“When did you get so big?” Atem asked, frowning. “You got old.”

“Thanks, kid,” Kaiba replied mindlessly, continuing to walk forward into the white abyss and rolling his eyes.

To his relief, a sprawling desert materialized before them, and Kaiba felt his head spin as the sun beat down on his shoulders. H-Holy fuck. Was the kid doing this? Or was he doing this?

“I see them!” Child Atem cried, pointing at the trail of camels in the distance, and Kaiba felt his feet sinking deeper and deeper into the sand with every step they took.

“PAPAAAA!” Atem waved his tiny arms, and Kaiba winced, bending down to scoop him up and throw him over his shoulder, seeing his chubby legs kicking in response. Golden bands around Atem’s ankles were blinding him in the hot sun.

“Pu’mee down!” the child slurred, thumping his fists on Kaiba’s back. “I can walk myself! You big bully!”

“Shut up,” Kaiba replied plainly, and the child quieted obediently.

Sweating and huffing, Kaiba climbed over a shallow dune and heard the sound of hooves thumping across the sand as men wearing white cloth around their heads surrounded them quickly.

Tanned arms shot out in front of him and wrested the child off his shoulder, and Kaiba blinked, swaying on the spot as he watched a bearded man hug the child fiercely.

“No running off, Atem!” the man reprimanded, giving Kaiba a steely nod over Atem’s spiky head. “Thank you…Seth? Is that you?”

Kaiba opened his mouth to rage at the old man before he stopped himself, seeing the world fading around him, before a blinding white light flooded his senses, and he found himself on his back, in his hospital room, gazing up at the strips of light above his head.

The dream ended.

Biting a groan, Kaiba palmed his face, listening to the pounding of his own heart. Weird. They had been speaking two different languages but could understand each other perfectly.  
Definitely had something to do with the Puzzle being in his possession.

Closing his eyes, Kaiba drifted off lightly again, determined to save his energy. It was still dark outside and he had a whole day of ‘walking’ ahead of him.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 9** **》**

 

Atem found himself crouching under the bed, cramped horribly with the back of his head pressing painfully against the springs above him.

He glanced around and realized with a shock that Kaiba was beside him, but…in a child’s body.

His blue eyes were usually dark as he fanned duel monster’s cards out in front of him on the ground, lost in thought while he laid on his stomach with his head propped up on his tiny hands.

“What—Seto?” Atem gasped, trying to inch his way out from under the bed, but he was tightly stuck. His back ached. H-How did he get himself under here?! Was this a dream? Surely this was a dream. He couldn’t move from this spot unless Kaiba moved.

The child jerked his head up and gave him a vicious glare, pressing a finger to his lips.

“Shhh! He’ll hear us!” Child Seto snapped, sounding very much like his older self. “Shut up. I’m trying to think.”

“Can we… _think_ somewhere else?” Atem asked, craning his neck and trying to see out from under the curtain that hung off the edge of the bed, which he realized was a child’s blanket.

“No,” Kaiba replied stubbornly, and Atem froze when he saw red welts running up and down the child’s chubby arms.

“Who hurt you?” Atem asked instantly, reaching out to touch the kid, but he backed away like a caged animal and hissed at him, looking close to tears.

“The monster outside did,” the child replied coldly, sweeping his cards closer to his chest protectively. “Everyone wants to hurt me. But not anymore.”

He gazed lovingly down at the cards beside his knees, and Atem realized with a jolt that they were Blue-Eyes White Dragons drawn on bits of paper cut out in the shape of cards.

“I’m going to be as strong as these dragons,” the child declared, and Atem’s heart went out to him.

“Indeed, you will—” Atem began, but he was cut off by the sound of the door swinging open with a _bang!_ and a gruff voice called out above them.

“BOY! I know you’re hiding under there! Time to find a better hiding spot if you want to run from me, you stupid kid!”

Seto’s face paled and he tucked the cards behind the bedpost before two, large, hairy hands reached under the bed and wrapped around his tiny ankles, dragging him out while he kicked and screamed, his voice tearing through Atem’s eardrums with painful force.

Wincing, Atem frantically reached out to grab onto Seto’s hands, but his fingers closed around air, and the last thing he saw was Seto’s wide-eyed, fearful, tear-stained face, silently begging him for help.

The world tilted and Atem bolted upright, panting and sweating, realizing he was safe in his own bed, with Kaiba’s screams still ringing in his ears.

How… _horrifying._

Yugi’s dreams were _never_ like that!  
Sure, he had witnessed some violence at the hands of Yugi’s bullies, but it was never anything like _that._

Atem bit back tears of frustration and threw himself back down on the bed, his heart thundering in his ears. He wasn’t sure if he could survive another one of Kaiba’s nightmares, but…deep down, he knew this was what he had committed to.

Kaiba was a tortured soul, and these horrors undoubtedly made him the insanely intelligent, sleepless maniac Atem knew him to be today.  
  
Sighing, Atem tucked his hands under his head and closed his eyes, praying for peace, for both of their sakes.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 10** **》**

 

Kaiba swung his legs over the edge of the bed and reached for the knee brace, strapping it expertly around his leg and rolling his pant leg over it, wincing at the stiffness.

A month had passed in a flash, and he had only managed to put half of the Puzzle together. It had never occurred to him how large the pyramid pendant was. It had always looked big on Yugi, but he assumed that it was because Yugi was a tiny person. Now that he had it in his own hands, he realized it was larger than he’d originally remembered.

With it half-completed, it couldn’t fit in the shallow drawers anymore, so he had Isono bring him one of his fortified briefcases. Even then, it wouldn’t fit unless he used the largest size he had, and it sat oddly inside the space. He might need a tiny, steel suitcase at this point to keep the Puzzle safe.

Yugi’s box idea was starting to have appeal.

Slowly rising to his feet, Kaiba swayed on the spot, cursing the cane that was propped up invitingly on his nightstand. He grabbed it and curled his fingers over the handle, hating everything.

If he could just…fucking walk across the room to the desk without assistance, that would be a fucking accomplishment.

Collapsing into the chair, Kaiba reached down to lug the briefcase onto the surface of his desk, his neck and shoulders aching from last night when he had been up until 3AM, working on the Puzzle, before a nurse entered his room and threatened to force-feed him sleep medication.

Fuck this place. Fuck the nurses. Fuck this damn cane, and fuck the fact that he couldn’t piece this thing together faster, and without the help of his usual tech. Would that be considered ‘cheating’ if he used his program to do it?  
Kaiba had no idea, but he knew enough.  
He didn’t want to compromise the _‘magic’_ of the Puzzle.  
  
Since the first dream with kid-Atem, he’d been having more fragments of memories that weren’t his, and Kaiba chalked that up to his success with the Puzzle.  
This meant Atem was close…inside his heart.

Yugi’s Heart of The Cards nonsense was also starting to make a bit of sense.

Blinking tiredly in the morning sunlight streaming in through the blinds, Kaiba ached for a fresh cup of coffee, but he didn’t want to interact with the staff, so resolved to wait. Another downside to this rehabilitation prison: no one was on call to wait on him the way Isono willingly did.

Staring at the half-finished Puzzle on the desk in front of him, Kaiba talked to it as if it was a human.

_“Why are you taking so long?”_

Atem froze, his arm stuck in a mid-wave as he sat inside the palanquin, hearing Kaiba’s voice in his ears, loud and clear, almost as if the handsome CEO was sitting beside him.

“I…don’t know what you mean, Kaiba!” Atem replied through gritted teeth, smiling at a young girl who tossed him a bouquet of flowers. He saw Mahad rush forward to catch them before they hit the nearest palanquin bearer.

Kaiba blinked, his heart rate increasing when he heard Atem reply instantaneously. He reached forward to touch the Puzzle, shaking with disbelief.

“Are you in there?!” Kaiba asked frantically, picking it up and checking it all over, seeing nothing but the gaping, jagged hole of the inside. “It’s empty. It’s half-finished. How are you doing that?”

“You’ve…half-finished the Puzzle?” Atem dropped his hand and lowered the curtain to shield himself from the crowd, pressing a hand to his face and closing his eyes, trying to see if a vision would appear, but it was nothing but darkness.

“Yes!” Kaiba replied impatiently, his body burning with an intense longing. “Show your face!”

“I can’t do that,” Atem breathed, covering his ears with his hands and tucking his head into his chest, trying to drown out the crowd so he could focus on Kaiba’s words. “I’m in the middle of a procession right now! Where are you? Are you hurt? I heard an argument with Mokuba…!”

Kaiba’s blood ran cold and he shook his head vehemently, lying through his teeth, “I’m totally fine. Come out of there! Do the thing you did with Yugi!”

“I can’t!” Atem hissed, seeing a hand appear behind the curtain and pat it.

“My king! Are you feeling ill?” Mahad’s voice drifted in, and Kaiba froze, wondering if he was hearing things. He could understand what was being said, but it wasn’t in Japanese.

“I’m fine! I am fine, no need to worry,” Atem called hoarsely, lifting the curtain and clipping it to the side, the sun nearly blinding him when it reflected off of his armbands. “But I am feeling the heat slightly.”

“Then don’t push yourself,” Mahad growled, unclipping the curtain and letting it fall back in place, and Kaiba heard the deep voice give a command, “we’re heading back! The king feels ill!”

Atem leaned back into the cushions and pressed his hands over his ears again, desperate to communicate with Kaiba again, but there was nothing but silence.

“Kaiba?” He called, and he received no reply.

Kaiba turned the Puzzle anxiously over in his hands, repeatedly calling out Atem’s name.

“Hey! Hey, Atem? ….Atem!”

No answer.

Kaiba cursed and set the Puzzle back down onto the cloth, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion.

What the fuck was that?! A special…reminder that he was on the right track?

Curling his fists tightly at his side, Kaiba shut his eyes and sighed. God, how he’d kill for some reassuring physical contact, like a hug or even a kiss. The memory of Atem’s lips against his was fading fast, and he was running out of ways to recreate it in his own mind.

Getting out of the chair, Kaiba snatched the cane up and inched himself to the bed, thinking he’d rub one out really quick before the nurses came in to deliver his coffee. One good thing he could rely on was the timing of the staff.

He had twenty minutes to fantasize and give himself a good orgasm, because damn, he needed one after the week he’d had, and hearing Atem’s voice further confirmed his efforts to reach the king.

Sinking down onto the edge of the bed, Kaiba made sure to keep his back facing the door and the box of tissues close at his elbow on the nightstand before he reached his hand into his pants to grab his own length, giving himself a few tentative squeezes and rubs.

His own hand felt cool and welcoming against his heated length. Kaiba let out a tight sigh, daring himself to enjoy the threads of pleasure snaking up his body while he imagined Atem’s beautiful face slowly kissing his way down his neck…his collarbone, stopping to palm his nipples before dragging his tongue sensually down the center of his chest, creating a thin, wet line leading down to his navel, past the band of his underwear to rest his chin on the tip of his erection, smiling boyishly, opening his mouth to say, “how about…here?”, before diving down to take his dick into his hot, dense, mouth.

Kaiba let his breath out in another satisfied huff, rubbing himself faster, imagining Atem ramming his head down onto his length, occasionally making eye contact, and occasionally shoving his other hand boldly between his legs to cup his balls warmly. The sensation sent a happy shiver up his spine, and Kaiba palmed his own balls, closing his eyes and losing himself in the repeated, tight waves of pleasure, slowly building him up into an explosive orgasm.

Shuddering and curling forward into his hand, Kaiba’s ears rang tinny for a moment when his head rushed with euphoria. He uncurled his hand guilty from his erection, wincing at the horrid scent. When was the last time he’d ejaculated? Time to open the damn window.

A knock sounded at the door, and Kaiba cursed loudly. With semen still drying across his knuckles, he snatched a fistful of tissues and wiped himself off while shouting, “don’t come in!” but he could hear the door creaking open slowly.

Gritting his teeth, Kaiba yanked his pants up over his hips, hearing footsteps circle the bed. The male nurse was standing at the foot of the bed holding a tray with his coffee and breakfast, his cheeks flushed.

“What part of ‘ _don’t come in’_ do you not understand?” Kaiba hissed, and he watched the nurse set the tray down on the glass coffee table, extremely unfazed.

“I’m just doing my job, Mr. Kaiba,” the man said quietly, bowing and then hurrying out of the room, but not before Kaiba caught the man peeking at him through the strands of his hair mid-bow.

Oh…fuck everything.

This guy…liked him?!

Trying to unclench his jaw, Kaiba reached for his cane and inched his way into the bathroom to clean himself up, his chest tight with a mixture of anxiety and guilt. If he didn’t know any better, that nurse had come in on purpose, trying to catch him doing something lewd.

Actually….

Maybe that would explain why he’d had almost no time to himself.  
That man was sticking to him too hard! And to top it all off, he was always barging in after knocking once. The knocking was _for show._

 _Time to file a complaint_ , Kaiba growled, drying his hands on a nearby towel and limping out of the bathroom, his ears burning with fury.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 11** **》**

  
Atem tossed and turned anxiously in bed, thoroughly afraid that if he fell asleep, he might encounter another horrifying nightmare.

He was half-expecting another vision, or to hear Kaiba’s voice mid-bath, so he could converse with him privately, but it had been deathly silent for an entire week now.

He’d only had a few nightmares since the one under the bed, and they mostly comprised of running away from invisible monsters, or falling, or…sudden death, which all usually left him bolting upright in bed, drenched in cold sweat, or freezing, with the sheets tangled messily around his body in the middle of the night.

Atem had never experienced such paralyzing fear in his sleep before, and he couldn’t help but feel immense empathy for Kaiba. He knew Kaiba was a complex man, but he never imagined such...sheer terror that haunted this man’s wakeful nights. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be inside Kaiba’s head, and he was beginning to dread it.

Yugi was more balanced, but only because he was a young child, plagued only by bullies his own age. Kaiba had experienced…torture as a child, around the age of 10, lasting all the way into his late teens.

Kaiba’s demons were still fresh. Perhaps that was what made it so terrifying.

Thunking his head back onto the pillow, Atem closed his eyes and imagined Kaiba’s cold expression hovering over him, and he felt himself itch with a strange longing. He wanted to pull Kaiba into a warm embrace and tell him that he deserved to relax. After all he’d been through, it was the least he could do.

He had fame, wealth, his sound mind, and Mokuba. What else did he want?

 _Me?_ Atem wondered hopefully, turning over onto his side and hating how his boner poked annoyingly into the hard mattress below.

Reaching a hand down between his legs, Atem rested his palm gently on his tip, wondering what rag he could use to clean himself up with. The one towel he’d been using was currently hanging to dry.  
It was fine.  
He would use it while it was still damp and then wash it…again.

Oh, how he missed those rumbling machines Yugi used to wash his clothes.

Peeling himself out of bed, Atem drifted into his bathroom and grabbed the damp cloth off the hanger, marching guiltily back into bed.  
What else could he do?  
He missed Kaiba dearly and the kiss they’d shared meant there was more that could happen between them. Was it a sin to fantasize about that?  
No. Definitely not.

Lying down stiffly, Atem almost felt like the mood had been lost, but his erection throbbed angrily back at him, so he reached his hand down between his legs with a resigned sigh and gripped himself tightly, wishing he could conjure up more ways to fantasize about Kaiba.

Sitting up slowly, he grabbed a second pillow and tucked it between his knees, trying to imagine Kaiba’s legs between his own while Kaiba’s hand snaked forward to wrap around his dick to give him one, long stroke upwards, sending a pleasurable jolt up his body. Squeezing the pillow tighter, Atem frowned and buried his nose into the sheets, wishing he could have a whiff of Kaiba’s scent. Coffee was not something easily found in this time, and the more he thought about it, the more it frustrated him.

Rubbing himself furiously, Atem tried to imagine Kaiba lying beside on his side, touching himself too while their knuckles brushed steadily with every upwards stroke.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 12** **》**

  
Lounging in his bed on his side with the half-finished Puzzle gleaming on the nightstand beside his head, Kaiba heard a rustle behind him, so he whipped his head around, wondering when he’d fallen asleep, because there was a very faint outline of Atem lying behind him…masturbating openly.

He flipped himself over and tried to press his hand tightly against Atem’s cheek, but his hand went through his face and into the pillow. Kaiba noticed the king’s angular eyes widening, and they gazed steadily into each other’s eyes before Kaiba dove forward and tried to kiss him, but there was nothing but air.

“Hey…what’s happening? Are you real?” Kaiba asked wildly, wondering if this was another cruel hallucination. His hand went right through the pillow when he tried to touch Atem.

“I…don’t know…. Are _you_ …real?” Atem replied through his thin breaths, and his arm stopped moving momentarily. Kaiba looked almost solid, lying there beside him, his blue eyes sending streams of fire through his body. But he could still see his own window through the top of Kaiba’s slender shoulder.

“Don’t stop. Keep going,” Kaiba insisted, his cheeks heating up with excitement as he made himself comfortable and propped his head up on one hand, gazing lovingly at Atem’s flushed face. So....fucking…sexy….

Atem nodded fervently and thumbed his leaking slit with enthusiasm, rocking forward excitedly, wishing Kaiba could touch him. He watched Kaiba’s eyes soften at the corners as he stared unblinkingly into the CEO’s sharp face, his body burning with arousal as he stroked himself faster, seeing Kaiba slide his hand down his own hip and flash him his erection, the sight nearly enough to make him cum. Atem shuddered and held out stubbornly, feeling a smile curving at his lips.

“Show it to me,” Atem demanded, and to his intense glee, Kaiba flipped the waistband of his pants down to show him an enticing length that jutted out from his body at an impressive angle.

“Wait for me…” Kaiba breathed, reaching down to wrap his fingers around his own arousal and giving it a few energetic strokes, trying to match Atem’s pace. His body shuddered in protest from the sudden shocks of pleasure riding his body too fast, and he forced himself to slow down.

Atem shook his head and grinned, bucking his hips forward playfully, whispering, “no, _it’s a race,_ Kaiba. Catch up!” and he lost himself to the pleasure of his own hand, enjoying the familiar shocked expression Kaiba always wore whenever he was caught off guard.

Growling in frustration, Kaiba rubbed himself raw, trying to make himself cum as fast as possible, but he was still tender from his earlier self-venture. He was bursting with excitement at the sight of Atem’s blissful face when he orgasmed into his own hand.

Keeping his eyes open, Kaiba raked his gaze down Atem’s half-naked body, taking in every inch of his robes and jewelry, seeing a tanned hand reaching out to caress his face while he continued to touch himself.

Atem hovered his hand just above Kaiba’s cheek, wishing with all his might for them to touch, but this was the best he could manage for now. Kaiba’s eyes were half-lidded with lust, his beautiful lips parted as he let out a shaking breath, climaxing into his own hand, the semen splashing into the sheets between them. Edging away to glance down, Atem reached his other hand out to pat the bed before him, finding that his hand had come away dry.

Ah…so this wasn’t real.

“Don’t…go,” Kaiba whispered, his head spinning and his ears ringing. He saw Atem smile and lean closer, planting a soft kiss on his forehead before closing his eyes contentedly, appearing to fall asleep.

His silhouette flickered dangerously, and Kaiba watched with bated breath as the image faded just as fast as it had appeared.

Mildly horrified, Kaiba saw the mess he’d made in the hospital sheets, and he leapt out of bed, forgetting for a moment that he needed his cane, and his knees went crashing down onto the cold floor beneath him.

“FUCK!” Kaiba cried out furiously in pain, desperately trying to pull his pants up around his hips when he heard the rush of footsteps outside in the hallway. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

To his extreme mortification, the male nurse from before was standing over him, looking to the bed and down at him on the ground with wide eyes, his ears red with embarrassment.

“Do you need help, Mr. Kaiba?” the man asked plainly, not moving to help him off the ground, and Kaiba cursed at him. 

“What the _fuck_ do _you_ think?” Kaiba spat, inching up on his elbows, wincing at the bruises that would inevitably form on his knees.

“I can help,” the man said, his voice shaking with emotion. “You’re bored. I can see that much. I’ll bring you an adult video? Or a magazine? Or…I could personally help you?”

Atem hurried back from the bathroom and laid down on the bed, hearing a conversation echoing around in his head, driving him mad.

Clapping his damp hands around his ears, Atem shut his eyes and listened intently.

“You…what?” Kaiba blinked, giving the man a wide-eyed glare. “You want to…personally…help me? Then give me the fucking cane.”

Atem bit the inside of his cheek so hard, his eyes watered in pain. Kaiba needed a cane to walk?! He had been lied to! What else had Kaiba been lying about?!

“I can give you my…hand,” the nurse said with a shaky smile, and Kaiba stared at the man so hard, spots dotted the corners of his vision.

Atem felt an alien rage sear through his body as he wondered if he was misunderstanding the situation. Was a man offering to touch Kaiba as a service?! A sexual service?! Why was this happening?!

“Yeah, no,” Kaiba scoffed, still maintaining his dignity while he sat up on the floor and gave the man a dark glare. “I have a boyfriend. He was just here. Leave, or he’ll fuck you up.”

“No visitors are allowed during this time,” the nurse replied patiently, unfazed by Kaiba’s cold tone. “Let me help you up.”

“Don’t you …fucking dare…touch me!” Kaiba was seething, too angry to raise his voice. “Back the fuck off!”

Atem shook with rage, feeling Kaiba’s intense emotion wash over him, and the world flashed white before his eyes briefly, seeing the gray tiles appear on the ground before his eyes.

What?

What was this?

He felt a hand come down on his shoulder and give him a squeeze. Atem slowly swiveled his head around to see the male nurse’s hand sliding down his arm while the man’s expression turned leery.

“Mr. Kaiba,” the man panted in Atem’s face, and his breath was sour. “I’ve always wanted to…with you…”

Without thinking, Atem grabbed two of the man’s fingers and gave it a violent twist, hearing a sickening pop and a crack as anguished howls filled the air.

The world flashed white again and Atem found himself on all fours, back in his own bed, panting and sweating profusely as the man’s screams lingered in his ears, along with Kaiba’s horrified shouts.

Kaiba backed away from the nurse who was cradling his dislocated shoulder. His fingers were also twisted in a strange way, twitching in pain as he tried to take deep breaths.

But for some reason, the nurse wasn’t too concerned with his injury. Instead, he was gazing pale-faced and terrified at Kaiba, his mouth opening and closing as if he’d just seen a ghost.

“Yeah, that’s what you get for trying me!” Kaiba ranted mindlessly, wondering what had just happened. He didn’t remember breaking that guy’s arm, but he sure as hell deserved it.

“Y-You…c-changed...f-faces... …I-I…” the man stammered, sliding to the floor while other nurses rushed into the hospital suite, looking frightened and apprehensive.

“He assaulted me!” Kaiba shouted from the floor, intent on feeding the correct story to everyone first. “Don’t look at the bed! Everyone fuck off!”

Almost as if on cue, every nurse’s head turned to stare at the bed, seeing a mess of dried semen puddled in the middle of the messy sheets, and one female nurse turned bright red.

“I didn’t do anything! I didn’t do anything!” The male nurse chanted desperately, but no one was listening to him.

The two female nurses were helping Kaiba to his feet, and the walking cane was slipped under his palm. He was slowly limped out of the room and deposited on the bench outside his door while the man’s pitiful begging could be heard in the hallway.

“I didn’t touch him at all! It was there when I came in! I’m not a pervert! I’m not a pervert—”

The door slammed shut, and his voice was muffled.

Letting out a stiff sigh, Kaiba cradled his head in his hands, mildly disturbed.  
What the hell was that?  A dissociative period?  
Shit.  
Maybe the pod did do some damage to him after all.

Kaiba vowed to keep a log just to make absolutely sure before bringing it up to doctors, lest he never see the outside of this damn hospital when his release date came around.

He needed to be getting better, not worse.

  
 **《** **CHAPTER 13** **》**

 

Atem sat in the bathtub, hugging his knees to his chest, trying to stem the horrible burning and itching coming from the palm where Mana had smeared the rooster’s blood. Something was wrong, and he wasn’t sure what it was.

Rising out of the water with urgency, Atem grabbed a towel and hastily patted himself dry before stepping into his robes and rushing out of his room to find Mana.

He hadn’t properly fastened the sash around his waist, and it was slipping lower the faster he walked. Pausing to adjust it, Atem heard footsteps approaching down the hall and he jerked his head up, seeing Seth walking towards him with a welcoming smile.

The sight caused Atem’s stomach to wrench painfully. All he could see was Kaiba.

“My king!” Seth reached out to grasp Atem’s hand, but he was dodged cleverly as the king backed away and nodded, looking oddly flushed.

“Seth. Welcome back,” Atem said evenly, the horrible burning from his palm spreading up to his elbow. “Have you seen Mana?”

“Is that how you greet me, cousin?” Seth frowned lightly, tapping the Millennium Rod playfully to his temple with a wink, and Atem felt the blood rush rapidly to his head, causing his ears to ring. H-Handsome…  
But Kaiba would never smile or wink like that. They were two different people.

“It’s—It’s urgent,” Atem said weakly, leaning against the wall for support. “She cast a spell on my hand, and it’s burning.”

“What?” Seth snapped, his playfulness vanishing instantly. “Show me.”

Atem reluctantly stuck his hand out for Seth to inspect, and the priest’s face darkened significantly. He passed the head of the rod over Atem’s palm, and Atem instantly felt better. It was as if a cool trickle of water had soothed the burning.

“Casting is not my specialty, but…” Seth’s voice faltered uncharacteristically, and Atem yanked his hand back protectively to his chest, his heart pounding wildly.

“What? Say it!” Atem cried, and Seth sighed, shaking his head.

“Mana may have cast the wrong Tethering spell.”

“Wh-What?!” Atem breathed, his lungs constricting with terror. “How do you know?”

“I said I _don’t_ know, but it looks like…a seal that connects you to the world we used to live in, and not this world, am I making sense?” Seth wrinkled his nose, looking frustrated. “She may have confused the triangles inside the circle. This is upside down. But again, take a quick look inside the Book of Taiyou…”

Atem blinked, feeling himself sinking into the ground with nothing to catch him at the bottom.

This explained why he could see through Kaiba’s eyes even though the Puzzle was only half finished. His connection to Kaiba had been accelerated.

“You feel ill?” Seth nodded knowingly, his face darkening. “We’ll have Mahad look up a counter spell. We can’t have you leaving us again. Where is your Puzzle?”

“In the…in the throne room,” Atem stammered, thoroughly shaken. “What do I do?”

“Don’t panic,” Seth instructed firmly, grabbing Atem by the arm and leading him into the hallway to the throne room. “Let’s draw a circle around the Puzzle to keep whatever memory this world has of it, and this way you will not lose your mind like the last time.”

“I didn’t lose my mind, did I?” Atem asked dazedly, his stomach twisting with dread. The horrible blackouts were terrifying to experience…  
But ventures into Kaiba’s mind were somehow worse than long bouts of darkness.

Seth nodded at the two guards standing at attention by the doors and ordered, “bring Mana and Mahad here. Have them fetch the Book of Life, and the jar of salt.”

“I don’t think salt will help,” Atem muttered, and Seth gave him a withering look that mirrored his innermost feelings.

“It’s what we have, so it’s what we’ll use to keep you grounded here,” Seth sighed, looking tense. “Are you well enough to bleed? We will need your blood in the circle to keep the Puzzle with us.”

“Yes, yes,” Atem said mindlessly, dreading everything that was about to happen.

Mana and Mahad rushed into the throne room breathlessly, pink in the cheeks with exertion.  
  
Mana looked close to tears. She threw her arms around Atem’s neck, hugging him tightly.

“I’m s-s-sorry!” She choked, and Atem could feel her hands grow clammy with sweat as she hugged him tighter still. “I must-t have r-read it wrong! It’s all my fault!”

“It’s not, Mana. It was an easy mistake,” Mahad said grimly, kneeling to place the jar of salt by the faint outline of the Puzzle on the ground. “It’s gotten fainter. Pharaoh? How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Atem lied, and there was a tense silence when Mahad narrowed his eyes at him.

“A piece of your leg is missing,” his protector said testily, and Mana gasped in horror, falling on all fours to grab his calf, staring at his missing ankle.  
  
“Does it hurt?!” she whispered fearfully, throwing Atem a wide-eyed look.

Atem shook his head mutely.  
What really hurt was the way everyone was worrying about the inevitable. He was already seeing parts of Kaiba’s world. He had a feeling he would soon vanish from this realm and be pulled back into Kaiba’s reality, with Yugi…and everyone else….

“Well, in any case, start the ritual,” Seth insisted, pointing the head of the Millennium Rod at Mahad accusingly. “You’re spellcasters, aren’t you? And she was your apprentice, which means this was _your_ fault—”

“Please don’t fight,” Atem cut across Seth, and he was interrupted by a sobbing Mana.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault!” She wailed, hanging tightly onto Atem’s arm, looking heartbroken.

Atem grit his teeth and felt a headache coming on. This arguing was pointless! He could feel himself sweating with exertion, and he couldn’t help but wonder what Kaiba was doing.  
Pushing himself, clearly.  
This was unhealthy. Or was this how Kaiba constantly felt whenever people cared too much about him?

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 14** **》**

  
Kaiba slowly took steady steps down the hallway, with one palm on the railing sticking out from the wall, immensely happy that he could walk without the cane.

He would need to lean occasionally on the railing for support, but overall, he felt great. His strength had mysteriously returned at full throttle after the ‘assault’, and he’d been moved to a suite on the lower floors.

The only downside was the decrease in privacy. Along with that, came the stares and whispers from the other staff, but Kaiba ignored it. He could deal with nasty rumors about being gay. They weren’t wrong. And no one could prove what really happened inside the room because there was no security footage.

The male nurse had been transferred to another hospital and Kaiba was satisfied with that outcome. As long as that guy wasn’t sniffing around him anymore, everything was good. He hadn’t had any dissociative episodes since that incident, and a month had passed in the blink of an eye.

He’d been assigned a female caretaker, and she was much less attentive, which was just fine.  
  
She made up for it by bringing him coffee every two hours, which matched Isono’s frequency, and Kaiba was quite happy about that. She was also leaving him more interesting reading material, and he appreciated that as well. When he wanted to take a break from the Puzzle, he’d lounge on the couch in front of the TV and fan through the magazine she brought him, sometimes from her own collection, because Kaiba noted the address sticker on the front hadn’t been removed.

Was that a come-on?  
Or was she happily catering to his reading needs?  
Didn’t matter.

What mattered was right now, was him putting one foot in front of the other, slowly, shakily, but without support of the railing.

Triumphant, Kaiba turned slowly and began walking back to his wheelchair, hating it with all his might.

He hadn’t gotten much sleep in the past few days, because he kept dreaming about being trapped in a labyrinth, with stairs and doors and identical torches lining every hallway. He was certain that was Atem’s special hell, and he couldn’t figure out what it meant.  
Either way, those dreams were better than the nightmares he usually had.  
It was refreshing in a strange way.  
  
The dreams were getting more vivid and repetitive because the Puzzle was almost complete.  
It was now only missing the center piece and the top-right corner.  
  
He was itching to get back to it. He’d saved the center piece for last.  
He wanted the satisfaction of pressing it into place.

His eyelids drooped, and Kaiba blinked slowly, wishing the coffee here was stronger. He was getting sleepy every two hours, dammit.

He blinked again and swayed, gripping onto the railing and seeing a flash of an unfamiliar vision. The Puzzle, laying in the middle of a ring of salt.  
  
What the fuck?!

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 15** **》**

  
Atem let Mahad prick his finger with a needle and squeeze blood onto the salt they had sprinkled in a neat ring around the mirage of the Puzzle, and he grew lightheaded.  
  
His finger was moved in a steady circle as they waited for his blood to drop evenly into the center. He was getting sleepy for some reason…  
  
He blinked slowly and saw his own feet swimming into view. Looking up, Atem found himself standing in an unfamiliar hallway, where people were all wearing blue masks the way they did often in…Japan.

There was a steady hustle and bustle around him. A woman brushed past him and nodded politely. Atem blinked at her, looking down at his own body, wondering why he was wearing modern clothes, but it was almost like a dress.

His hands were pale.

Wait.

Letting go of the railing, Atem held his own hands up to his face, opening and closing them slowly, unable to breathe while his knees steadily weakened with shock and horror.

His fingers were long, slender, thin, and beautiful. The tips were nicely manicured into a perfect oval, and Atem’s stomach churned with nausea.

These were…Kaiba’s hands! He knew them anywhere—

Before he could finish that thought, Atem found himself crashing to the floor, and his knees stung painfully when his palms slapped against the cold linoleum beneath him.

Burning with fury and humiliation, Atem slowly raised his head, gazing at his own, pale knees that were wrapped in a black, elastic brace, peeking out from underneath the hospital gown, and he felt faint.

Kaiba was…really hurt!  
He couldn’t even walk?! What had happened?  
How long had it been? Had…Kaiba aged? Why… why?

Atem had so many questions, but he stuffed them down furiously, grabbing into the railing beside him and heaving himself to his feet, pleased to see that he could make it all the way back to the chair with wheels waiting for him at the end of the hallway.

No one was paying him any attention which meant Kaiba must’ve been doing this often.  
This explained why he was always tense and sweating.  
He was trying to walk!

Sinking gratefully into the chair, Atem felt someone come up behind him, and he whipped his head around anxiously, seeing a woman with her hair tied in a bun, and her face obstructed with a mask. She reached out to grab the handles of his wheelchair and dutifully wheeled him back into a large room with a sparkling, floor-to-ceiling windows, a U-shaped couch, and a double-wide bed.

Impressed, Atem nodded at her and said, “thank you.”

She paled and hurried away, slamming the door behind her on accident in her haste.

 _Oh, he never says ‘thank you’,_ Atem realized his mistake too late, and he felt a strange headache coming on.

Ah, he knew this feeling well. Closing his eyes, Atem nervously leaned back into the chair and waited to be pulled back into his world, but for moment, nothing happened.

Oh gods.  
Was he…trapped in Kaiba’s body? Where was Kaiba?  
His consciousness wasn’t present—

“ATEM?! Atem!”

Atem blinked and found himself popped up against the wall with a cushion behind his back, staring into Mana and Mahad’s worried faces, with Seth leaning against a pillar at the far end of the room, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

“What happened?” Atem asked hoarsely, afraid to find out, and both his friends answered him at once, taking over each other in their fear.

“You passed out…!”

“And then you faded in and out, almost matching the Puzzle in transparency!”

“You wouldn’t wake up! You wouldn’t wake up!” Mana shrieked, looking beside herself with grief. “It’s all my fault!”

Atem spared her a sympathetic smile, “I’m not angry…”

“Not the point,” Seth muttered, and Mahad rounded on him with fury.

“Don’t stand there saying unhelpful things. We are losing him again!”

Atem shut them out, and let Mana hug him tightly, rocking his body back and forth while she cried silently into his chest.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 16** **》**

  
Kaiba woke up with a start and realized he was back in his room, still in his wheelchair, and he’d…dozed off while sitting in it?

What the…fuck?!

 _I don’t remember how I got back in here! Kaiba_ thought, panic stricken, and he eyed his phone on the nightstand, wondering if he should log this as another episode. The last thing he remembered was aiming for his wheelchair while doing his daily laps in the hallway.

He was losing his mind! Being forgetful was one of the symptoms!

“I’m fucked!” Kaiba hissed to himself, rising out of his chair and taking unsteady steps back to the bed.

The Puzzle was sitting beside his phone, and Kaiba reached for the Puzzle out of habit, thinking he’d try to finish solving it today before he really lost his bearings. What if he forgot about Atem in his madness?

Fuck.  
No. Never.  
He would never allow himself to slip that far.

Sliding open the drawer of the nightstand, Kaiba sat down on the edge of the bed and began sticking pieces into the pyramid pendant with an odd frenzy.

He couldn’t lose his mind.

The piece he’d picked up didn’t fit. He tossed it back in and grabbed another one.

He had come too far.

The piece he was holding had a sharp edge. Wrong.

He tossed it back in and heard it land with a dull thunk inside the drawer, and he blindly reached in to grab another piece, his ears humming with a strange sound. His chest ached strangely with…sadness?

These weren’t his feelings, were they? Why would he feel so torn up about losing his mind? He was pissed! Angry!

It clicked into place with magnetic force and Kaiba hissed in triumph, reaching for another piece. And another.

He’d built this in record time. Eight months? That standard had been too low.  
It had been six months! Well, seven if he counted tomorrow.  
No. Today was the day.

Another piece clicked into place.  
Three more left to go, including the edge piece and the center.  
He was close.

He was losing bits of his memory.  
He couldn’t wait to meet Atem.  
He needed as much time as he could muster.

The pod had fucked him up, and it was his own fault for not factoring in his own stupidity.

Maybe because a part of him thought that he wouldn’t be able to bring the Puzzle back, but yet, here it was, at the cost of his own sanity and his physical health, it was here, sitting in his hands, gleaming under the soft fluorescent lights, nearly completed.

Kaiba picked up the corner piece, weighed it in his hand, and pressed it into place, staring at the dark, gaping hole in the center, holding his breath.

This was it. This was fucking it!

He snatched the center piece up and gripped it in his fist, trembling with excitement.

Wait.  
He needed to document this; just in case he lost his mind the moment he put it together.

Grabbing his phone, he unlocked it and wrote a memo to himself.

**“2018.03.09**

**Losing my memory bit by bit.  
Completion of the M Puzzle @ 17:23.  
Atem, if you’re reading this, know that I’m thinking about you and will never forget you.”**

_Done,_ Kaiba thought grimly, setting it on the nightstand and making sure to disable the passcode. If he really fucked himself by completing the Puzzle, at least Isono or Mokuba could access his phone, which could then potentially unlock all the other tech he owned.

Letting his breath out in a satisfied huff, Kaiba didn’t hesitate, and pressed the last piece into the center, seeing it glow strangely with a bright golden light, and his spirits rose. Atem!

The Puzzle grew warm in his hands and the glowing stopped after a few seconds.

Nothing happened.

Kaiba frowned and shook it angrily.

“What the fuck?” he muttered, turning it over in his hands to make sure it was completed.  
It was.  
Not a piece was missing.

“Atem?” Kaiba called loudly, holding the Puzzle at an arm’s length, and nothing happened.  
  
No reply. Just ringing silence and soft voices coming from the nurses in the hallway outside his door.

 Deeply disappointed, Kaiba set the Puzzle down and sighed. Yeah this was bullshit.  
Maybe he should try calling Yugi.

Snatching up his phone, Kaiba dialed the number off the top of his head and pressed it to his ear, listening to the rings, growing sleepy again. Damn.  
Their coffee here was practically water.  
Why did he even bother to drink it?

“Hello?” Yugi answered the phone apprehensively. “Who is this?”

Atem opened his eyes slowly, seeing himself wearing the thin hospital gown again, and Yugi’s voice was in his ear.

“I’m hanging up…Kaiba-kun? Is that you?”

“Y-Yugi?!” Atem choked, his blood running cold when he saw the completed Puzzle on the nightstand, and his own reflection in the window across the way. A tall, pale, Seto Kaiba was perched on the edge of the large bed, staring fearfully back at him with a phone pressed to his ear.

“Yeah? What is it?” Yugi frowned, and Atem could hear sounds of people in the background, feeling a rush of affection for his aibou.  
Was Yugi still at the game shop?  
It sure sounded like it…

“Kaiba-kun?” Yugi repeated, thinking about hanging up. “Okay, bye, prank call.”

Stunned speechless, Atem listened to the dial tone ring in his ear, and he lowered the phone, seeing the call screen disappear, replaced by a personal memo Kaiba had written for himself.

  **“2018.03.09**

**Losing my memory bit by bit.  
Completion of the M Puzzle @ 17:23.  
Atem, if you’re reading this, know that I’m thinking about you and will never forget you.”**

Shaking from head to toe, Atem set the phone face down on the nightstand and reached for the Puzzle, unable to believe it. Kaiba had…finished the Puzzle…for him!

“Why am I not inside it?” Atem wondered aloud, and there was a soft knock at the door.

He slowly turned to stare at the door, wondering if it was safe to interact with anyone without disturbing Kaiba’s life. It was happening again. He was being inserted…into the owner of the Puzzle, who was now…Kaiba!

“Master Kaiba?” Isono’s voice drifted through the door, and Atem wondered what he should do.

He blinked rapidly, his panic rising before his world tilted, and he found himself laying in his own bed, back in his own room while Isono’s voice was still ringing clearly in his head, almost as if the man was standing before him.

“Master Kaiba?!” Isono saw Kaiba’s head loll forward eerily, and he began to slide off the bed, with the Puzzle slipping dangerously from his fingertips.

Isono snatched the pendant out of the master’s hands and set it back on the nightstand, giving Kaiba’s shoulders a vicious shake.

“Seto?!” Isono hissed wondering if he should call a nurse, but to his relief, Kaiba’s eyes sharpened and they made eye contact.

Kaiba blinked, staring into Isono’s brown eyes, wondering…what had happened.

Another episode.  
Shiiiiit.

“What…?” Kaiba asked, his heart skipping a nervous beat, and Isono pressed a hand to his chest, looking faint.

“Don’t scare me like that! Did you think that was a funny prank?” Isono scolded, thinking Kaiba was getting too old for jokes like that. “Stop it. Now, I brought the button cam like you requested. Is this because of your assault? You shouldn’t film nurses without their permission.”

“No, I’m using it to film…myself” Kaiba said stiffly, eyeing his phone which was safely back on his nightstand, but the Puzzle had moved. It had been facing him, and now, the eye had been turned away, facing the wall.

What…the…fuck…was happening?! He was going insane!

“What was I doing when you came in?” Kaiba asked nervously, dreading the answer.

“Sitting there, looking at the pendant,” Isono answered stiffly, straightening the lapels on his blazer. “I bought you a coffee maker too. You won’t have to rely on their coffee from now on.”

“Thank…fuck,” Kaiba muttered, and he snatched his phone up to call Yugi again, because apparently, the first time he’d failed.

He opened his call log and saw that he had already made a call to Yugi and it had lasted thirty seconds.

What the…?!

Hitting re-dial, Kaiba pressed the phone to his ear and listened to the rings.

“Kaiba-kun?” Yugi answered with ease, his voice barely audible over the hustle and bustle on his end. “I’m busy! I don’t have time for you to prank me! What is it? And why is it so hard for you to have a consistent phone n—”

“What did I say?” Kaiba demanded, earning a sharp, confused look from Isono.

“What do you mean?” Yugi protested, sounding offended. “What did you say to who?”

“To you, you idiot!” Kaiba hissed, and Yugi frowned, tucking the phone under his ear while he accepted change from a person buying a pack of cards from him.

“You just said my name all funny,” Yugi reported, now itching to hang up. “I think you dialed the wrong number. You asked my name like it was a question. Now, what do you want?”

“Fuck,” Kaiba gripped his knee tightly, and he hung up quickly.  
So he had forgotten who he’d been calling in the moment.  
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.  
This was worse than he’d thought.  
What stage of dementia was this?

Isono gave him a grave look and bowed his head, remaining bowed as he asked, “tell me what’s happening, Master Kaiba. I will do my best to help.”

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at his manservant, not wanting to break the bad news to him just yet.

“Nothing. Yugi was being annoying,” Kaiba replied, feeling a headache coming on. “I need some rest. Thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re…welcome?” Isono tilted his head curiously, wondering what warranted this sudden thanks.

Kaiba bit the tip of his tongue, wondering what had possessed him to say that. Sure, he was thankful for the coffee, but he never intended to say, ‘thank you’.

Laying down on the bed, Kaiba threw an arm over his eyes, his head aching. God….  
He was deteriorating faster than he’d originally thought. This was bad.  
Had solving the Puzzle really been that mentally straining? No! It wasn’t!  
It had been almost…easy.  
It was just time consuming because there were so many damn pieces.

“I’ll leave you be,” Isono said, and Atem could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness.

The sun was rising outside his window, and another day would soon start. Was he inside Kaiba’s head or on his own bed? He couldn’t tell anymore! The madness had really taken over this time, and it was worse than when he’d encountered Yugi’s mind.

Breathing heavily, Atem opened his eyes and found himself staring at unfamiliar strips of fluorescent light hanging above his head. He sat up slowly, seeing the manservant staring at him unblinkingly.

They had a brief staring contest before Isono shook his head with a sigh and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Confused, Atem glanced down his body again, mildly terrified of Kaiba’s toned physique. He’d somehow manage to remain muscular even though he was confined to a chair? He trailed his hand down his own stomach, fascinated by the pale hand responding to him when he moved his own hand.

Surreal.

The hospital gown ended at the tops of his knees. Atem pulled it up slightly to gape at how pale his own skin was. Kaiba was nearly the color of the sheets.

Hiking the hem up higher, Atem blushed furiously, realizing he was…embarrassed to look at Kaiba’s body without the CEO’s knowledge.  
He couldn’t do this. It was wrong.  
He had to tell Kaiba this was happening somehow.

The way he’d told Yugi was by telling Anzu, but deep down, Atem knew that Kaiba trusted no one. Only himself. So…he had to approach this delicately.  
Atem reached for Kaiba’s phone, intent on writing Kaiba a note.

He saw his own hardness sticking up through the thin fabric of the gown, and his ears burned.

 _Stop it! Stop that_! Atem reprimanded himself, opening the memo app again and shakily typing out a message. He got as far as, _“Kaiba…”_ before his erection throbbed angrily at him.

Swallowing his despair, Atem shoved his doubts aside and lifted the hem of the hospital gown, seeing an enticing bulge clothed in light blue underwear. His stomach twisted with arousal, and Atem looked away frantically, his heart thundering in his ears.

No…no, he couldn’t.

Forcing himself to look at the phone, Atem typed, _“it’s me...”_ and his dick ached to be touched.

No….!

Hissing in annoyance, Atem realized this was why Kaiba was always so…forward.  
He needed it to go away before he could focus on anything else.  
It really was a physical _need_.  
He hadn’t been able to understand it until…just now.

 _What do I do?_ Atem balked, hastily typing out an apology in the phone before he reached one hand down to touch himself, shaking and trembling with anticipation. He wanted to see…!

Tossing the phone aside, Atem swung his long legs off the side of the bed and stumbled into the bathroom, pleased to see that his legs were working properly. Just as that thought left his mind, he collapsed on his knees in the walk-in closet in front of the mirror, and Atem tilted his head, seeing Kaiba in the reflection tilt his head too.

Oh…gods. This was strange!

Dare he do it?

 _Yes_ , Atem thought, steeling himself to strip off the gown and toss it aside with a huff.

He turned this way and that, admiring Kaiba’s body in the mirror. How…marvelous! He had these toned hips that dipped down into a solid V, leading to his…very neglected bulge that was leaking pitifully in his underwear.

 _I hope you have spare ones, Kaiba,_ Atem thought wickedly, tapping his own lips with his fingers, enjoying the show immensely. This was the best. He could feel everything, while also seeing everything.

Wrapping his fingers around his length, Atem gave himself several firm, up and down rubs, enjoying the way Kaiba’s cheeks flushed happily. Yes…yes! What an expression! He’d never seen that before!

Snickering to himself, he began to masturbate in earnest, growing lightheaded for a moment as a particularly pleasurable wave of ecstasy washed over him, and Atem was disappointed to find himself lying flat on his back, in his room once again.

W-What?! Did an orgasm pull him back into his own reality? No!  
He wanted to go back!

Kaiba froze on the spot in horror, staring at himself in the mirror, wondering why he’d been…jerking off to…himself…in the...closet?!

His dick was leaking and throbbing, sending violent curls of pleasure up his stomach even though he was no longer moving his hand. What was happening?!

Didn’t matter! He would finish, and then worry about it.

Growling angrily, Kaiba snatched his gown off the floor and piled it in front of him, ejaculating onto it with a forceful heave, and his head rushed with a pleasant orgasm before it quickly faded and turned into a cold lump of fear and guilt in the pit of his stomach.

Gasping for breath, Kaiba rose unsteadily to his feet and leaned against the wall all the way back to the bathroom, shoving the gown under the water and washing the semen out of it, his mind racing with terror.

He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten there.  
He couldn’t remember what had happened after he’d laid down.

Phone.

Leaving the gown a sopping wet mess in the sink, Kaiba inched his way back to the bed with effort and snatched  up his phone, clicking it on to see he’d written another memo entry for himself, but this one was confusing as hell, and it didn’t have the date.

_“Kaiba, it’s me…fuck, I’m sorry! I understand now! I’m really sorry!”_

“What…IS WRONG WITH ME?!” Kaiba shouted at the top of his lungs, feeling his throat ache.

A rush of footsteps echoed through the hallway, and his nurse burst in breathlessly, seeing him standing naked by the bed, half-wet, and she let out a pained squeak before dashing back out and slamming the door.

The phone inside his room rang, and Kaiba rolled his eyes. Ugh.  
If she was going to do that, why didn’t she just call first.

He strode over to the desk and felt his knees ache, but he ignored it.

He could move around actively for short periods of time before pain set in. The phone continued to ring, and Kaiba picked it up to set it right back down into the receiver, hissing in annoyance.

He was having a personal crisis.

Walking slowly back to the bed, Kaiba sat down, not wanting to get dressed for fear he might forget what he was doing halfway. Was it time to write his own obituary before he forgot himself completely? Was it time to update his legal and personal will?

Yes, to all of the above.

His laptop was on the desk across the room. Too far away. And he was tired.

He was constantly tired! Where was this mental strain coming from? After each episode, a searing headache would follow, and he’d feel like he’d just done 18 hours of work non-stop!

Lying back down on the bed with a sigh, Kaiba closed his eyes, not caring if the nurse would come in to see him naked again.

He drifted off, praying he wouldn’t wake up to another horror.

Atem was sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast with Mana and Mahad when his arm started going numb, and he dropped his fork with a clatter on his plate, earning shocked looks.

“Pharaoh, what is it—you’re disappearing!” Mahad cried, leaping to his feet in distress, and Mana pressed a hand to her mouth, her eyes tearing up rapidly.

“I’m…fine,” Atem said steadily, fully prepared for this. He knew it had been coming. He’d been fading in and out of Kaiba’s consciousness now, it was only a matter of time.

“Oh, Atem,” Mana whispered, reaching her hand out to touch him, and her fingers closed around air when Atem gave her one last, grateful smile, seeing the dining room flash before his eyes.

“It’s not your fault, Mana,” Atem said firmly, using the last of his strength to keep his eyes open, making meaningful eye contact with Mahad, and Seth, before he felt all the air get sucked from the room, leaving him sitting in pitch black darkness.

“It’s not your fault,” Atem repeated, waving his own hand in front of his face, unable to see it.

Well, he could feel his body, so that was a good start.  
But it was this again…this…stifling, suffocating darkness.

He was inside the confines of the Puzzle now. He was sure of it.

Soon, the passages would reveal themselves to him, as a winding maze of Kaiba’s mind, and Atem squared his shoulders back, fully prepared to take on the challenge.

At least now, the voices inside his head would stop. They would come from the outside now.

Sighing, Atem crossed his legs and felt as if he was floating upside-down while he remained sitting upright. Interesting.

…If this was Kaiba’s mind or soul room, then perhaps….

“Lights!” Atem commanded, and to his rising incredulity, a light flickered on above him.

It was an elegant fixture of three rounded bulbs welded onto a horizontal metal bar.

I-Interesting….

“Window?” Atem asked tentatively, wondering if a window to the outside would really appear, and to his surprise, it did.

A towering window, similar to the one he’d seen inside Kaiba’s hospital room emerged from the ground, and Atem bit back a solid gasp, his eyes watering with emotion.  
  
He was awestruck by the sudden versatility and felt extremely loved.

The confines of Kaiba’s mind was luxurious!

Yugi’s mind was simpler—comfortable—but simple.

And the view out of this enormous window was what Kaiba was currently seeing. He was reading a magazine about cars.

Deeply excited, Atem paced the space in a wide circle, calling out all the furniture he could possibly remember.

“Bed! Couch! TV!” Atem cried, dashing to sit on the plush leather couch that emerged in a flash. The bed popped up in the far corner, and a magnificent TV with a shiny, curved screen hovered in the air right above his head.

 _Oh…! Wonderful! But, oh no! Where do I put such a large TV?_ Atem thought wildly, glancing around the empty space and calling out for, “A wall! Or perhaps…two walls? A room! A large room! Two rooms, no, three…. Or, four! Five!”

Kaiba winced when he heard Atem’s voice echoing too loudly in his head, and he pressed a finger to his temple, gritting his teeth. What the hell? Was he hearing things?

“Shut up,” Kaiba muttered, turning a page and unable to focus on the words. His mind was preoccupied with architecture, but only because the Atem in his mind was insisting on it.

Okay. Maybe he wasn’t feeling like cars today, so he picked up an interior design magazine and flipped through it aimlessly, biting back a yawn.

This random exhaustion was exhausting.  
Maybe he needed to secretly give himself a brain scan, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to take the bad news about his own deteriorating mental health.

 _Thank you, Kaiba!_ Atem smiled gratefully, gazing out the window and seeing Kaiba giving him ideas from a glossy magazine. Every room was beautiful and spacious…which one should he pick?

“You’re…welcome?” Kaiba muttered, wondering why he was hearing Atem’s voice talking to him in his own head.

Yes. He had _officially_ lost it now.

Atem heard Kaiba’s doubts, and he ignored them, too wrapped up in copying the room he saw tucked under Kaiba’s thumb.

It was a sleek, elegant living space with a fireplace, a sprawling entertainment center, an open kitchen, and steps to an upstairs, and steps leading out through a glass door to a clear, spring garden.

 _He can do that, right?_ Atem mused, calling out loudly, “garden!”

Kaiba shook his head furiously, wincing as a tiny headache throbbed at his temple.

Okay…. What the fuck.

Snapping the magazine shut, he tossed it aside angrily and decided to pace the room to give his legs more of a workout, because he was feeling extremely restless and giddy for some reason.  
A panic attack? No, this didn’t feel like one.  
Ugh.  
Maybe he just needed a nap.  
Those usually worked.

Atem was running back and forth excitedly through the rooms he had made, his heart bursting with joy. This was marvelous! He could live comfortably in here! He’d been so terrified, thinking Kaiba’s mind would be like the dark recesses of a cold graveyard, full of monsters that would chase him on sight, but no, it was _heavenly_ here.  
These rooms he’d made were bright, and clean.

 Wait, did this mean….

“Closet!” Atem commanded, standing by a blank wall and seeing a door appear, with a silver handle. He pushed his way inside and marveled at the various empty racks, just waiting to be filled.

Incredible. He could consult Kaiba about these later.

Dashing out of the closet, Atem was stunned to see that it was dark outside the window.

Wh-What? Had Kaiba fallen asleep?

Disappointed, Atem sat down on the plush lounge and shut his eyes, thinking he would also take a nap. He was probably exhausting Kaiba by causing so much disruption.

He knew that Yugi had experienced bouts of depression, anxiety, and restlessness when his mind split to make room for him. And that had happened when Yugi was going through puberty.  
It had been a turbulent time for them both.

This was the mind of a fully matured adult, and Atem stretched out comfortably, wishing he had a blanket.

One appeared instantly, neatly folded at the foot of the lounge, and Atem grabbed at it happily, snuggling under it and enjoying the warmth.

It would be so nice…if there was some sun on his legs….

He drifted off into a comfortable slumber, feeling happier than he’d ever been in months.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 17** **》**

  
Kaiba found himself standing in the middle of a bright green field dotted with wildflowers, and he frowned, wondering if he would encounter another Atem in child form.

It had been a while since he’d had a dream this vivid, and any nightmare that wasn’t the dark, winding pathways of the labyrinth was extremely welcome.

He spotted a house in the distance, so he made his way towards it, taking long strides over the tall strands of grass, wondering what part of the world he was in now.  
Somewhere in Scandinavia maybe?  
The house in the distance appeared to have northern European origins…

Tasteful. Maybe he was only dreaming about this because he’d just put a magazine down full of these houses.

The sun was warming his back nicely, and Kaiba gave the sky a careless glance.  
It felt like mid-spring. It was very scenic here, with a forest of trees backing the house, coupled with sprawling mountain tops, tipped with snow.  
Who lived in that house? And where the hell were the other houses?

Frowning, Kaiba realized there was a giant, black gate surrounding the entire property. Great.  
So it was someone prissy who valued their privacy.  
He could appreciate that.

Walking along the barrier, he found the latch with ease, and to his surprise, it swung open as he approached it, almost as if it was welcoming him inside.

What the fuck?! Was there a camera somewhere?  
Was someone watching him?  
Why did it just open like that?

 _Yeah, I’m not going to think too much about it,_ Kaiba raged, thoroughly fed up with all the mystery. He was losing his mind, therefore, he was losing himself. He needed answers, now.

Walking up the neat sets of stone steps, Kaiba marveled at the concrete architecture. Who the hell was this person’s gardener? The sharp, clean lines around the entire property were enviable.

The foyer was even more impressive. It was boxy, and the color-theme was beige, but intelligently designed to clearly show off the negative space between cabinets.  
  
What threw him off were the two bonsais sitting delicately behind the glass display case, giving it a homey feel.

So…a Japanese person lived here?! He was so confused.

Either way, better safe than sorry. He ran his hands along the solid wooden panels, sliding them back tentatively to reveal rows of empty racks and hangers…for shoes.

Okay…  
  
Kaiba slid off his boots with effort and hung them on the hooks provided and slid the panels closed, feeling oddly vulnerable. Another sliding glass door led into the home, and Kaiba inched the door aside, wondering why this place spoke to him so much.

Hell, if his mansion wasn’t already solidly built, he’d splash another several million on a place like this if he could find the land somewhere in Japan….

His breath caught in his chest at the beauty of the expansive home. Light was streaming softly down from the sloping ceiling where sections of it were cleverly split to allow strips of sun to cast its sparkling rays down on the exotic-looking furniture, all matching his personal color palette almost perfectly.

A-Amazing! The person who lived here was probably richer than he was!

Incredibly shocked and stunned, Kaiba wandered through the house, marveling at all the textures and feeling extremely jealous. What was the point of this annoying dream? To tell him to remodel his kitchen so he could have an earthy, open fireplace too?

Or that his garden wasn’t up to par, because there was an oasis just outside another sliding glass door with various types of Japanese maple trees that made his own collection look pale in comparison.

Was this mystery billionaire a secret horticulturist expert?  
How were all of those maples in bloom at their full beauty in this type of weather?  
And weren’t they planted a little too closely together?  
But it was still in full bloom! How?!

Peeling his face away from the glass, Kaiba reeled at the beauty of the floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing him a wonderful view of the sparkling mountains outside. Shaking in his head in disbelief, Kaiba marched through the house, deciding to check out the entertainment lounge.  
Was this place… _heaven?_ Why was it so quiet?  
Where was everyone? And why had nothing bad happened yet?  
  
He passed a room in his haste, and he backed up along the hallway, peeking inside, mildly shocked to see that this room didn’t match anything in the rest of the house.

The walls had been painted a dark, navy blue, and photos were hung on the walls like it was a private gallery of sorts.

Nice. This billionaire was also flaunting his rare art collection. How fucking nice.

Now pissed, Kaiba stepped into the room and nearly had a heart attack when he saw the first picture on the wall.

It was one of himself, hugging Mokuba at duelist kingdom.  
W-What?!

Moving down the line, the next photo was even stranger. It was one of Atem, and a girl who looked suspiciously like the Dark Magcian Girl, but with tanned skin and darker hair. She hung on Atem’s arm, beaming at the camera while a man who looked too much like the Dark Magician himself glared icily at the lens.

Okay. Weird. Next.

This photo was a selfie of Yugi with a plush kuriboh pressed to his chest while he beamed at the camera.  
  
Gross.

The next photo was one of Yugi and Anzu sharing a milkshake.

Sighing heavily, Kaiba palmed his face, wondering if this person was a stalker, or had purposely built this funhouse to fuck with him.

This wasn’t an art gallery.  
It was more like a memory…gallery?  
Whose memories were these?

 _Not mine!_ Kaiba thought nervously, seeing another stomach-curling photo of Joey with his face bloodied and bruised while he lay on the ground at a mystery location.

Shivering, Kaiba decided he’d had enough of the weird stalker-picture-room, so he hurried out of it, nearly tripping on a set of stairs leading him upwards to another part of the house.

God…damn Europeans….and building their mansions on their unlevel ground.  
Genius engineering, but hidden stairs…everywhere!

Losing his patience and growing increasingly more jealous, Kaiba stalked into what he assumed was the theater, and he saw three curved screens hanging neatly on an accent black wall, and his jealousy rose.

Great. Now he wanted an accent black wall in his own entertainment lounge.  
The blue one would have to be repainted, because black looked way cooler.  
He should’ve known to pick black instead of blue.  
Why didn’t Mokuba stop him at the time?  
Oh, right, maybe Mokuba did, but he hadn’t been listening.  
He’d been so set on blue, dammit.

A sprawling, U-shaped couch circled the entire back wall, and Kaiba nearly froze when he saw someone asleep at the far end, curled up under a plaid, wool blanket. The thin, rectangular window was open, and a slight breeze was coming in, followed by a perfect strip of sunlight beaming across a pair of the prettiest, tanned feet Kaiba had ever seen.

H-Holy fuck. A girl.  
He was trespassing into a woman’s house.  
Death awaited him if he was caught.

He backed away slowly, seeing a wide hallway on the other side of the room, leading to another garden. Kaiba grit his teeth, trying to stay calm, wondering if it was better to go out that way instead of traipsing through the house back the way he came. Yes.

Better out than further in.

Kaiba snuck past the sleeping figure, and his stomach twisted strangely when he thought he saw spiky hair peeking out from the edge of the blanket.

Unable to live with himself if he didn’t check twice, Kaiba inched towards the girl and slowly reached out to lift the edge of the covers, his heart leaping into his throat with excitement when Atem’s peaceful, sleeping face appeared underneath it.

Oh…. _fuck._  
Yes.  
 _Finally,_ a good dream!

Giddy with excitement, Kaiba gently dropped the corner of the blanket down and edged around the couch, wondering how he should go about waking Atem up.

He wrapped his hand tightly around the base of Atem’s bare foot and eased himself down to sit beside Atem, giving him a squeeze.

“Hey…” Kaiba breathed, barely able to talk through his own excitement. “Wake up.”

Atem didn’t move. His breaths caused his chest to rise and fall steadily, and Kaiba didn’t hesitate to lean down, pressing a warm kiss on Atem’s lips, his heart soaring when his lungs were flooded with a delicious, exotic scent.

Atem slowly cracked his eyes open, feeling a wet tongue roaming over the fronts of his teeth, and he let out a startled yell when he realized it was Kaiba, with his hands clamped down on either side of his face, holding him stiffly in place while kissing him furiously.

Wh-What was this? A dream?!

His eyelids fluttered, and he melted into Kaiba’s touch, sighing happily when he caught a solid whiff of the coffee Kaiba loved to drink so much, and he draped his arms around Kaiba’s shoulders, pulling him in closer, shoving his tongue incessantly into Kaiba’s mouth, trying to fight for control.

Draping his leg over Kaiba’s thighs, Atem surged forward and pushed him down onto the couch. They bounced slightly when they landed too hard, their noses bumping.

Kaiba grinned handsomely and threaded his fingers through Atem’s blond bangs, baring his teeth playfully, “Eat me.”

“…Gladly,” Atem breathed, raking his hand down Kaiba’s muscular chest, his heart threatening to explode with happiness as he dove down to capture Kaiba’s lips in his, and he rocked his hips down sensually, enjoying the hardness between their legs.

His gaze never left Atem’s fiery violet eyes as his hands roamed down his body and stopped at his hips.

“You have this curve here…I really like it,” Atem said fiendishly, untucking Kaiba’s shirt with a frenzy and bending down to give his skin a teasing lick, and he heard Kaiba hiss in excitement.

“You know what I like?” Kaiba asked, his mind numb with happiness and pleasure as Atem continued to strip him boldly. “You.”

“Is that so?” Atem shot Kaiba a grin, and lifted the hem of his robes, feeling Kaiba vibrating with excitement underneath him. “But what about me do you like _best?”_

“Don’t know,” Kaiba replied hastily, bucking his hips upwards when Atem palmed his erection through his underwear. “Let me try everything out first…starting with your ass.”

And Atem was caught off guard when Kaiba surged forward and flipped their positions, lewdly grinding his clothed penis onto his bare leg.

“Stop being disgusting!” Atem cried, biting back laughter, and Kaiba grinned, unable to compose a coherent reply. The king looked so beautiful like this…under the sun where his skin sparkled, and his hair fixed to perfection….

“Turn over, let me see it from a sexy angle,” Kaiba demanded, grabbing Atem by the arms and already trying to push him onto his side while Atem fought back half-heartedly, clearly trying to restrain his own laughter.

“S-See what?” Atem gasped, his lungs tight with excitement as Kaiba dragged his lips down from the tip of his jaw to the point of his adam’s apple, giving it a stinging bite before burying his nose into his chest and moving to flick his tongue over one of his pink nipples.

“Kaiba…wait!” Atem cried, but Kaiba was deaf to his protests, sliding his robes off from around his chest and stomach, discarding it carelessly behind him, leaving him comfortably in the nude on the soft cushions.

“Your ass, come on,” Kaiba grinned like a madman, his body itching and burning with lust. He wanted this…so much. All of the nightmares, for this amazing dream. This made all of the suffering worth it.

He pressed his lips tightly against the nape of Atem’s neck, feeling him shiver happily underneath him and arch back against him. Bumping his erection against the back of Atem’s leg, Kaiba bucked his hips forward playfully, wondering if he should ask for permission to penetrate…but this was his dream, right?

“Where are you poking that thing?” Atem asked bossily, throwing Kaiba a seductive glare over his shoulder. “Never seen an ass before? Do you need help finding it?”

The breath left Kaiba’s lungs temporarily as he met Atem’s angular eyes, and he threw caution to the wind, wrapping his arms around Atem’s body to give him the tightest hug he could manage, hearing his own heart thundering in his ears.

There was no way this could be a dream. It felt too real….

“K-Kaiba?” Atem panted, trying to twist his head around to see why Kaiba was merely hugging him from behind. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” Kaiba said quietly, trailing the backs of his fingers down every bump and curve of Atem’s spine and resting his index knuckle at the base of his tailbone. “I missed you. That’s all.”

“Oh. I…missed you too!” Atem smiled joyfully, bumping his ass teasingly against Kaiba’s leg. “Now let me give you a tour…”

Kaiba felt a smile curving at the corners of his lips and he gave Atem’s asscheeks a firm squeeze, enjoying the way tanned flesh spilled out between his fingers before he dropped to his knees on the floor beside the couch and pressed his nose into Atem’s crack, flicking his tongue out to taste his rim, earning a frantic but happy shout.

“You don’t start from there!” Atem cried, his body burning with a strange fire as Kaiba’s tongue prodded dangerously lower, and he propped himself up on his elbows, trying to catch his breath. His head was spinning so much, he could barely breathe! And Kaiba’s heat was roaming sinfully lower, in the space right underneath his balls, thudding suggestively at the tight skin and wrenching a pleasurable shudder from his body.

Wrapping his arms around Atem’s legs, Kaiba pulled him closer, gently running his palms up and down the smooth skin on his thighs and reaching up to give his length a few energetic strokes in the front while he latched his lips firmly around the tight ring of muscle that was squeezing and clenching with arousal every time Kaiba flicked his tongue out to taste him.

The tang was wonderfully sexy, he wanted more.

Atem grabbed the nearest pillow and pressed his face into it to muffle an embarrassed cry as Kaiba shoved his slick tongue into him and gave him a tantalizing swirl, churning his insides and causing his legs to weaken. Oh…oh, what was this feeling?! His body was flashing hot and cold at the same time, and his ears were ringing.

Kaiba’s hands were sliding so warmly up and down his hips, sometimes reaching forward to touch his leaking tip, other times, just sliding down along his inner thighs and resting there, keeping him spread while his tongue danced sinfully between his legs, eliciting a shivering, clenching, orgasm so powerful, Atem opened his mouth to gasp for air, but found himself suspended in a pleasurable limbo, the more Kaiba continued his relentless assault with his tongue, stabbing excitedly into his entrance, sending heated swirls of fire rising up to consume him.

Gasping incoherently, Atem pried his head up from the pillow to sneak a glance behind him, seeing Kaiba prodding his dick against his ass cheek, his thighs flexing with a dark look falling across his handsome features.

“Can I?” Kaiba breathed, feeling like he was at his limit.

 _Can he what?_ Atem thought blearily, nodding fervently, feeling the tip of his dick throb miserably from neglect.  
  
Sliding his hand up Atem’s back, Kaiba held him steady while slowly leaned himself into the soft entrance, feeling Atem swallow him whole too hot and too fast. Tanned knees tightened around his waist and Atem bucked himself down onto his length before Kaiba could properly savor or enjoy the fact that he was inside of Atem’s hole.

A searing wave of pleasure ripped through him, nearly causing him to lose his balance as Atem laughed devilishly and clenched around him with such force, his world tilted, and he saw white.

“W-Wait…!” Kaiba hissed, but Atem wasn’t listening. He was laughing and rocking back onto him with his entire body shivering and shaking with ecstasy while he breathed, “Yes…Kaiba! How does it feel inside of me? Does it feel good? You got…bigger! You like it…I can…tell!”

Elated, Kaiba braced himself on the couch and slammed his hips forward with as much force as he could muster, earning another lewd shout.

Atem felt himself stretching wider…wider, almost painfully, but he held out, his eyes tearing up with a mixture of relief and happiness as Kaiba’s arms came down around him once more, pressing him roughly face down into the cushions while unrelenting waves of pleasure assaulted his body. It was better than anything he’d previously imagined.

Kaiba was attentive, and enthusiastic, occasionally trailing soft kisses down his shoulder blades before surging upwards to thrust into him with passion, landing strategic bites on the shell of his ear, or in the sensitive curves of his neck.

A cold hand came down over his and their fingers laced tightly together while their bodies rocked violently in synch with each other.

Blind with ecstasy, Kaiba shut his eyes and let a powerful orgasm rise from the pit of his stomach and wash over him steadily, wave after wave, each more powerful than the last while Atem’s legs twitched and tightened further around him.

“More…more!” Atem gasped, rolling over onto his side and seeing Kaiba slowly pull out, looking dazed. “Again!”

Unsure of how to comply to this request, Kaiba shoved himself back into Atem’s wet, twitching hole, nearly falling over when the tightness threatened to send him over the edge again.  
F-Fuck. Intense.

His oversensitive dick was weeping and rubbed raw, but Atem seemed insatiable, reaching a tanned hand down to grab his base and playfully palm his balls, giving him another buck of his hips.

Shuddering with lust, Kaiba gave Atem several more passionate thrusts, seeing the king throw his head back so much, the only thing visible was his slender jaw and the tips of his spiky hair, his chest heaving for air.

“E-Enough…I can’t!” Atem cried, shaking his head wildly when the rim of his ass began to burn and chafe from the semen steadily drying.

Kaiba smirked and obediently pulled out slowly, collapsing beside him on the cushions, letting the sun warm his chest nicely.

Atem snuggled up to him, propping his head up on his elbows, leaning in for a kiss, and their tongues swirled playfully together before they pulled apart for air, and Kaiba couldn’t tear his half-lidded gaze away from Atem’s beautiful face which seemed to glow under the warm sun.

“I enjoyed that,” Atem smiled happily, brushing Kaiba’s bangs away from his eyes, marveling at the handsome brow. “Come back often to do more with me, okay?”

“Yeah,” Kaiba breathed, leaning forward to kiss Atem again, his chest bursting with questions. “How do I get back here?”

“The same way you came in,” Atem replied, frowning worriedly. “How _did_ you get in here?”

Kaiba opened his mouth to reply, but to his horror, the world was fading black around him. What was happening?

“Atem?” Kaiba cried, and the last thing he saw was Atem’s shocked face before he woke up with a start, drenched in cold sweat with a throbbing boner, still in his hospital bed.

F-FUCK!

Atem frowned, dismayed to see Kaiba disappear, and he raced to the window, shocked to see Kaiba’s pale hand gripped around his dick, furiously masturbating.

Deeply shocked, Atem stayed rooted to the spot, watching the show on the giant panes of glass with interest.

Ah…perhaps that had been his fault. But the sex had felt so real?!

Kaiba leaned back into his pillow and gasped for air, his eyes watering at the corners with despair as an orgasm spilled out over his chest and blanketed him with warmth, followed by the horrid, hot stream of semen dripping down his knuckles and into his underwear.

God…dammit!

Heaving himself out of bed, Kaiba limped into the bathroom and stripped himself with ease, stepping into the shower and standing under the hot water with a sigh.

Pink in the cheeks, Atem sat down on the nearest chair and propped his head up on his hands, gazing lovingly up at Kaiba through the window, hearing his thoughts rumbling through the house loudly.

_Fucking fuck. Best wet dream of Atem I’ve had this century and I nearly peed myself. I’m going insane. And I wanted him to fuck me, but that was fine, I guess…_

“W-We’ll do it next time…” Atem said quietly, hoping Kaiba would forgive him for his moment of selfishness, and he saw Kaiba pause, and his thoughts increased tenfold.

_What the fuck?! I’ve spawned him inside my head!  
I’ve lost it for sure! I gave myself a personality disorder! What’s next?  
I’ll be walking around the streets of downtown, naked!_

Blinking rapidly, Atem’s spirits fell when he realized Kaiba couldn’t believe that their souls and minds had merged. He thought it had been pretty obvious!

 Sighing, Kaiba shut the water off and draped the towel over his shoulder, not bothering to dry himself off because another headache was pounding at his temples. The frequency of these headaches was abnormal. Something was happening to him, and it was nothing good.

 _It’s good! It’s me!_ Atem begged silently, but he was ignored.

Heartbroken, he watched Kaiba tuck himself into the hospital bed after getting dressed again and fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

 _I have to make him believe!_ Atem realized, horrified.

He raced through the house and snatched his clothes up from the ground, pleased to see that he was magically clean again. It was time to go on the terrifying adventure through Kaiba’s mind. This tiny oasis he’d created here was their shared space.  
He had yet to find his own soul room.

He also had to find the door leading out of this place and roam the recesses of Kaiba’s mind to find the CEO’s soul room and confront him there.

Only then, would he truly believe.

  
 **《** **CHAPTER 18** **》**

  
Kaiba swept out of the limousine and ignored the hoards of crowds pressing in around him on all sides while his bodyguards fended them off, shouting, “Stay back! Mr. Kaiba is still recovering!”

_“Mr. Kaiba! Was there an accident in your private lab?”_

_“Was there a successor in place in the event of your death, Mr. Kaiba? Is it Mokuba?”_

Atem clapped his hands over his ears, glaring out the soul window at the hoards of people swarming around Kaiba with their cameras in their faces. One bulb flashed and nearly blinded him, and it seemed to induce a similar rage in Kaiba.

_Fucking shut the fuck up! None of your goddamn business!_

Atem breathed a sigh of relief when Kaiba stepped into the elevator, and he stood up, determined to find the door leading out to the rest of Kaiba’s mind today. The CEO was going to be working, so there would be some flexible barriers…hopefully.

Kaiba sighed and leaned tiredly against the railing of the elevator, composing himself before stepping out on the top floor and ignoring his secretary who rose from her desk and bowed politely to him before he locked himself in his office.

First day back at work and the first ten minutes were already hell.

To make matters worse, even though his body had healed, ‘at a miraculous rate’ according to the doctors, but Atem was still nowhere to be seen, except for that one, explosively sexual, vivid dream.

That had been almost three weeks ago.

He’d been rubbing himself raw at the memory of Atem’s ass wedged tightly around his dick, and the imagery was getting repetitive. He wanted something new.

Sighing, he sat down behind his desk and flipped his laptop open, unable to focus on anything. He kept the Puzzle with him at all times in his briefcase. Why hadn’t Atem appeared yet? Maybe Yugi was lying or maybe…he’d fucked up the magic of the Puzzle somehow by bringing it back a second time.

Maybe it wasn’t as potent the second time around.

Atem was listening to all of Kaiba’s thoughts, and he felt like shouting as he strode in a frustrated circle in the middle of the empty field.

There was nothing around for miles now. He’d effectively gotten lost, but Kaiba’s voice was still loud and clear in the heavens above.

“I’m here! Let me out of this field, Kaiba!” Atem called, feeling wind whipping his bangs around his face, and he grit his teeth when Kaiba didn’t respond.

_Craazyyy…shut up crazyyyy….!_

Kaiba palmed his face painfully, wondering if he’d brought this intentionally onto himself. His love for Atem had manifested into…this.

“I’m doomed,” Kaiba muttered, shaking his head tiredly. He was still too afraid to run a brain scan on himself. He didn’t want to see it. He knew something was wrong, he just didn’t care to know what.

Maybe he needed another nap.

“Yes, yes you do,” Atem encouraged gently, and he paced the field again in a furious circle, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

Frustrated, Atem sat down in the grass and crossed his legs, sitting up straight and assuming a meditative position.

This was his last resort. He knew it was unhealthy, but he would wedge himself into Kaiba’s consciousness, if only for a second, to try writing him another note.

Taking deep breaths, Atem closed his eyes and tried to recreate the floating sensation he always felt whenever he switched with Yugi, and all he could feel was an impending drowsiness.

AH…perhaps Kaiba’s weakness was sleep.

He only had to wait a bit longer and….

Blinking slowly, Atem opened his eyes and found himself staring down at a silver keyboard.

YES! It had worked, but his time was limited.

Hastily snatching a pen up from the desk, Atem wrote Kaiba a short note, feeling an annoying headache tugging at the back of his mind. Time to go.

He closed his eyes and waited, hoping and praying he’d pass Kaiba on his way back down into his mind, wherever he was.

If he knew Kaiba well, he only had to search two places: his own heart, and his memories.

  
 **《** **CHAPTER 19** **》**

 

Kaiba found himself standing in the middle of a busy marketplace, with people rushing past him on all sides, ignoring him.

A dream. Great. And where was he now? It was hot, and the sun beat down on his uncovered shoulders. Kaiba looked down at himself and realized he was shirtless and wearing a white robe from the waist down.

A band of cloth was tied around his head, protecting his neck from the sun, and Kaiba patted his hair gingerly, wondering if he was being inserted into Atem’s memories again.

People began parting respectfully to the side, heaving the baskets off the tops of their heads and setting it respectfully on the ground as whispers floated around him.

_“The king is coming…”_

_“The Pharaoh is passing through…”_

Kaiba set his jaw and yanked the cloth off his head, hoping he could get Atem to recognize him.

Sure enough, a procession was marching through the marketplace, and Kaiba’s heart raced when he saw a tanned hand sticking out of a tall, velvet palanquin, waving gracefully at the crowd.

A warm hand close around his wrist, and a hooded figure appeared at his side, hissing, “Found you! It’s time to go!”

Kaiba stayed stubbornly rooted to the spot, trying to wrench his grip out of the stranger’s hand.

“Leave me alone!” he growled, and he was shocked to see Atem’s beautiful face under the mysterious hood.

W-What? Then who was passing through in the procession?

“Come with me! Questions later!” Atem insisted, yanking Kaiba through the crowd, not wanting this memory to be corrupted by meddling. He’d learned about this when Yugi had accidentally trespassed through his memories, and he wasn’t going to let Kaiba ruin his first procession.

Speechless and full of questions, Kaiba let Atem lead him through the crowded plaza and walk up a set of steps to a cathedral. Great! Were they going to fuck in a church? Sexual dream part two?

Atem pushed the door open, and to Kaiba’s dismay, it was completely dark inside. The door slammed shut behind them, and a long hallway illuminated by tiny LED lights appeared before them. Many white doors were evenly spaced down along it, and Kaiba immediately lost interest.

The inside of this cathedral looked like a terrifying Alice-in-wonderland hellscape.

“Even in your head, it looks like this,” Atem mused, lowering the hood with a relieved sigh. “You never listen to me when I talk—”

He was cut off when Kaiba dipped down and kissed him firmly on the mouth, causing his stomach to churn and swirl with a mixture of happiness and annoyance.

“Kaiba, I’m trying to tell you something!” Atem cried, trying to push Kaiba away, but the CEO peppered kisses down his face and neck, leaving him breathless. “K-Kaiba!”

“Just say it,” Kaiba said, smiling slightly as he enjoyed the slow blush creeping prettily across Atem’s cheeks.

“This is your mind! Show me the way to your soul room!” Atem asserted, reaching down to hold Kaiba’s hand tightly and lacing his fingers through his large, pale hand. “Now. Show the way.”

“My…what?” Kaiba asked plainly, pinching a strand of Atem’s hair between thumb and forefinger giving it a solid yank downwards and seeing it spring back up into place. Fascinating. Did the rest of his hair bounce like that?

“Kaiba, focus!” Atem growled, on the brink of exasperation. “Please. This is important. If you do this, I’ll—I know! I’ll take us back to that beautiful house!” Atem nodded vigorously, thinking he could bribe Kaiba with more sex, and to his relief, Kaiba agreed readily.

“Okay, show the way,” Kaiba said, nudging Atem down the ominous hallway. “You first. I’m not going down there.”

Atem gaped at him, the color leaving his face.

“You’re scared of your own mind?” Atem breathed, wondering if this was why he had been trapped in the house for so long. “You don’t want to open these doors!”

“Yeah, I don’t. Why do you?” Kaiba asked, growing steadily more impatient. “The only door I want to open is the one you know, so? Let’s go.”

“No…Kaiba,” Atem shook his head sadly and gave Kaiba’s hand another tight squeeze. “That room might disappear soon if you don’t accept me in your heart…and your mind.”

“Uh huh,” Kaiba said blandly, his eyes glazing over as the lights above each door pulsed strangely, and a small curl of fear sat low in his chest. He had a bad feeling about most of these doors. Besides, what the hell was Atem rambling about?  
He was already having hallucinations and hearing Atem’s voice in his head.  
How much more _accepted_ did the Pharaoh want to be?

“I’ll be here with you, every step of the way,” Atem said warmly, and Kaiba felt goosebumps rise up along his arms at the gentle tone. He was so unaccustomed to it…

“Come,” Atem encouraged, pulling Kaiba to the nearest one where loud shouting was coming from behind it. “Is it this one?”

He rested his hand on the doorknob and Kaiba panicked, shaking his head and yanking Atem away from the door.

“NO!” He breathed, his heart rate spiking suddenly with an unexplained pang of fear. “Not that one! It sounds…violent.”

“You can hear it?” Atem said lightly, his smile wavering, and his stomach churned with sympathy. Kaiba’s demons were quite similar to his own. Some did fight to escape their doors…though not ever successfully….

“Fine, I’ll choose, if you promise to stop touching each knob,” Kaiba snapped, giving in after realizing Atem wasn’t going to leave him alone, and he didn’t feel as if he was going to wake up any time soon.

So he was stuck here, screwed, with an unrelenting Atem.  
Better find the right door and get the fuck out of here because the cathedral’s door had disappeared. 

Holding his breath, Kaiba tightened his hand around Atem’s much warmer one and dragged him down the hall, listening carefully at each one, sometimes hearing his own, pitiful sobbing, and it sent a pang of grief stabbing through his stomach.  
Oh fuck. This place was quite hellish, but at least it was nicely organized into rooms.

He stopped at one door, resting his hand on the doorknob, shaking with mild fear as he pricked his ears up, listening for telltale shouting, crying, or angry ranting. There was nothing but silence.

“Is this the correct—” Atem was cut off when Kaiba jumped in fear, apparently hearing something that he couldn’t.

Kaiba stared fearfully at the door, wondering if it would hold, because there was a snarling beast on the other side of it, throwing itself violently against it so much that the door was splintering.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Why was it coming out? Was the door not strong enough?!

“…Run…” Kaiba mumbled, unable to move. His feet had been cemented into the ground with pure fear as the growling creature slammed against the door again, and Kaiba saw it splintering even more.

“I don’t see anything…” Atem said, titling his head curiously.

“RUN!” Kaiba shouted, dragging Atem behind him at a full sprint, and to Atem’s rising horror, a monstrous Cerberus burst into the hallway in a plum of dust and smoke to begin chasing after them, snarling and drooling.

“That’s my neuroticism!” Kaiba cried, hating himself viciously for it. “And possibly self-loathing! I don’t know! How do I make it stop?!”

“I don’t know!” Atem shouted back, his heart pounding and his sides aching from the fierce running. “My demons have never escaped before! But yours looks very…cool!”

“Thanks!” Kaiba shouted, wondering why a delirious laugh was climbing up his chest.

They sprinted past a door which was glowing with a strange golden light, and Kaiba skidded to a halt, deciding to go for that one. It looked safe. It felt safe. Had to be safe.

“Wh-We can’t go backwards _towards it_! We’ll cease to exist!” Atem cried, but Kaiba didn’t hear him. He’d already yanked open a door and flung him inside.

Landing painfully on his knees, Atem whipped his head around frantically to see Kaiba shoulder the door shut with all his might as the creature barked and snarled, pawing violently at the door before it stopped, and a welcome silence enveloped them fully.

Sagging with relief, Kaiba slid into a sitting position, pressing his forehead to his knees, hating everything.

This was no longer fun. He wanted to wake up now.  
Wake up.  
Wake up.  
Please…wake up….

Atem stood and dusted himself off, adjusting the purple cloak around his shoulders and admiring Kaiba’s soul room. It was nice, and sweet, with a sleek desk propped up against the window where a full moon’s silvery light was shining through. A beautiful, large bed was in the far corner, along with a TV, and a giant plush toy of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon perched on the pillows of a white, L-shaped couch.

Cute, but Yugi had more toys in his room.  
Perhaps he could convince Kaiba to redecorate sometime in the future.

It was a little small and barren in here, but it was better than none.  
That would’ve been a terrifying discovery indeed.

“We’ve made it,” Atem said, treading carefully now, because Kaiba looked close to breaking.

The most unique, standout fixture, was the soft waterfall, built into one of the walls, sending sheets of white water cascading down from the ceiling, and the base was illuminated by a soft glow of white lights.

How interesting!

“Kaiba? Take a look around.”

Atem’s voice echoed pleasantly in his ears, but Kaiba shook his head tightly, keeping his head buried in his arms. He’d had enough. No more.

“I will wait,” Atem said patiently, understanding that Kaiba always needed time to accept things as they were. Facing one’s demons in a cramped hallway with nowhere to turn was always a traumatizing experience.

Choosing to sit on the couch, Atem perched himself gracefully on the edge of the armrest and waited, watching Kaiba slowly lift his head, his eyes puffy from tears.

He scanned the plain room slowly, managing to calm himself down enough to palm the embarrassing tears off his cheeks.

The air was nice and fresh in here, and there was a cool night breeze blowing in from the window. Comforting….

Slowly rising to his feet, Kaiba dusted his legs off and composed himself, growing weary of the Atem who was looking too comfortable on the couch.

“Now what?” Kaiba asked, crossing his arms tightly. “Is this it? I’ve found the room, haven’t I? Boring. Let’s leave. Your place is better.”

He had a feeling every single item in here held significance to himself as a person, and he didn’t want to find out. His reluctance probably had something to do with the giant waterfall of denial gushing from the ceiling of this so-called ‘soul room’.

“That house we were in is not my place,” Atem mused, crossing his ankles and flashing Kaiba his leg from under his robe, disappointed when he didn’t get a reaction.

“Then what the fuck was that? Another part of my ridiculous dreams?” Kaiba asked heatedly, moving to sit beside Atem, lacing his hands together, trying to stop himself from shaking.  
Why couldn’t he stop shaking?!  
It was just a damn, three-headed dog.  
Personifying all his worst traits as a person.

Each grotesque head was probably one of his largest flaws. He didn’t want to keep thinking about it, lest he vomit.

“That place…was our shared space, I believe,” Atem mused, trying to draw from what he’d learned from his time in Yugi’s mind. “The only way I know how to get back there is knowing that it’s very close to the Mountains of Sorrow, and to make a turn at The River of Anger, which, yours rushes through the Forest of Joy at an incredible pace—”

“What the fuck are you spouting?” Kaiba cried, feeling like exploding. “This version isn’t enjoyable. Program abort. Stop function execution.”

“Kaiba…” Atem’s eyes softened at the corners with mirth. “I am not a computer program you can just ‘ _abort’_. This is very real. I share a space in your mind now. You must find a way to come to terms with this.”

Kaiba blinked, his ears humming with a strange noise. W h a t.

“My soul room will be the door across from yours,” Atem said, nodding stiffly. “It is always a black door, with a Millennium Eye. That’s where I’ll be. I can move the marvelous house I built from our shared space into my soul room—”

“Wait, _you built_ that house?!” Kaiba cried, unhearing everything Atem had said about soul rooms and fixating on the fact that Atem had practically built his dream home from scratch.

“Yes…with your…mind,” Atem answered steadily, giving Kaiba’s knee a firm pat. “Shall I move it? Your mind is so versatile. We can build an entire city in that space! That field went on for miles, my feet ached, and I would’ve gotten lost if I hadn’t pushed my way into your consciousness.”

“You did…what?” Kaiba mumbled, now understanding where Yugi was coming from when he said, ‘ _I thought Atem wanted to control me’_!

“Don’t worry. You’re not anywhere dangerous,” Atem said anxiously, catching Kaibas’ panic-stricken expression. “You’re asleep at your desk—"  
  


“Oh fuck! For how long?! Kaiba cried, leaping to his feet and pacing the room in a wild circle. “Oh my holy fucking shit! This means it worked! The Puzzle…and you! You…you’re here now!”

Atem cracked an amused smile, nodding, “Yes…you completed the Puzzle! This is your fate. _Our_ …fate. We’re intertwined.”

Kaiba froze mid-step and his expression turned dark, and gleeful.

“Does that mean…what I think it means?” Kaiba breathed, and he caught an excited nod from Atem, before a loud, shrill voice pierced the room.

_“MR. KAIBA?! OH MY GOSH! Is he asleep? Eek…!”_

“Ah, your lady friend,” Atem said mildly, and he received a sharp glare from Kaiba.

“That’s not what that word means,” Kaiba shot back, and Atem gave him another tight-lipped smile.

“You want to wake up?” Atem asked, hoping the answer would be ‘no’, but to his dismay, Kaiba nodded, looking refreshed and determined.

“Glad to know I’m not going fucking insane,” Kaiba announced, squaring his shoulders back proudly and surveying the bland soul room with newfound appreciation.

“I’ll interrupt you at work when I get bored,” Atem said impishly, and Kaiba rushed forward to pull Atem into a tight embrace, his heart thudding wildly with triumph.

“Yeah? I dare you to try,” he huffed, pressing a quick kiss to the center of Atem’s forehead and leaning away to smile warmly into the king’s face. “It’s my first day back. My calendar is full as fuck. You’ll see. Can you…see through my eyes?”

“Yes, and much more,” Atem nodded, and he was kissed so sweetly, his heart soared.

Kaiba pulled away gently to peck him on the cheek one last time before straightening up and walking to the door.

He pulled it back cautiously, checking to make sure the hallway was empty before he stepped out, noticing a black door directly across the hall, and a flat, silver, metal engraving of the Millennium Eye stared right back at him.

Nice. Atem’s room really was just across the way.  
This was better than the elusive king moving into his mansion.  
He’d moved into his _head._  
Best. Day. Ever.

“Kaiba? Have you gone?” Atem called, seeing Kaiba’s shadow lingering in the hallway.

“I’m going now!” Kaiba replied, feeling oddly at ease when he closed the door to his soul room and marched through the dark hallway. Everything looked less terrifying now. Even the banging from the nearby rooms didn’t frighten him as he walked by, because he knew he wasn’t alone. Atem was here, and he would be here…forever.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 20** **》**

  
Atem waited until he heard the footsteps disappear down the hall before he raced to the door, checked the hallway, and then dashed into the safety of his own room, pleased to see that it had gotten more comfortable since he’d last been in there.

“Window!” Atem called, and the same, towering glass window emerged from the ground before his very eyes, and he could see Kaiba reading his note fervently.

_“Kaiba, I failed to leave you a note last time, so here it is: it’s me, Atem. I am with you now because you completed the Puzzle about a month ago, but you’ve been so preoccupied with your morning gym workouts and your emails, you don’t have time to come inside your head to spend time with me. I am searching for your soul room.  
Please stop ignoring me when I try to speak with you.  
I know you can hear me.”_

“Nice,” Kaiba muttered, tucking the note away inside his desk, slightly disturbed at the idea that he’d written this with his own hand, but the handwriting was completely different.

If a doctor were to analyze him, they’d diagnose him with a split personality right away. That would be dangerous.

“Don’t worry, Kaiba, Yugi never had that issue,” Atem called lazily, scanning his soul room for a nice place to sit. Various duel monster plushies took up the space on the bed, so he called out for a chair.

One appeared, and it was a beautiful, interesting, rounded shape, looking very modern indeed. Kaiba sure loved his sleek furniture. that much was clear, and it was leaking into his own soul room.

There were still remnants of Yugi’s old toys and duel monster cards in his shelves, Atem sighed and decided he’d do some organizing later, because right now, watching Kaiba work was more entertaining.

Kaiba’s calendar looked like an intimidating colored map, with various meeting times and speeches scheduled, Atem’s head throbbed with confusion. He’d wanted to play with Kaiba, not watch him organize colored boxes on the screen.

“Kaiba, this is boring,” Atem drawled, crossing one leg over the other and wishing he could call out for some wine. Wait. Why pretend to have wine, when Kaiba had an entire shelf of alcohol in his office?

“This is what I do every day,” Kaiba replied monotonously, feeling Atem growing restless, and he was beginning to learn how to differentiate his own feelings from Atem’s. He currently felt determined, and slightly tired. Atem was feeling pent up, horny, and restless.

Oh great. Maybe he was going crazy after all.  
  
“I’ll leave you naked in front of a mirror again,” Atem said, sitting up instantly, and Kaiba froze in mild terror, shaking his head.

“No…no, not at work, Atem, do _not_ fucking do that!” Kaiba hissed, seeing green whenever he blinked, and he cursed himself when he saw a boner poking up through the black fabric of his slacks.

Kaiba grit his teeth and stared so hard, the words began sliding off the screen, his eyes watering with effort as he tried to ignore his boner.  
Atem had gone dangerously silent.  
He wasn’t sure if he should be worried or not—

To his astonishment, Atem materialized before his very eyes, dressed in all his finery. The king leaned the edge of his hip playfully against the side of Kaiba’s desk, enjoying the shocked look on his handsome face.

Kaiba bit the tip of his tongue, cursing fluently inside his head. Oh fuck. Fuck….  
He was officially fucked.

“I was thinking you could show me a few sets of modern clothes I could wear,” Atem mused, fully aware of the effect he was having on Kaiba, and he kept his distance, intent on teasing the CEO.

Kaiba opened and closed his mouth, trying to find his words. Atem looked so real, standing there, smirking at him, with his golden arm bands glowing in the sun coming from the window behind his head.

“G-Get back…. inside,” Kaiba managed to speak after swallowing the giant lump that formed in his throat.

“I’m thirsty,” Atem replied blandly, his angular eyes roaming excitedly all over the room and landing on the shelf of alcohol in his mini wet bar at the far corner of the room. “Let’s have some wine.”

“I’m at work, Atem. This isn’t going to end well for both of us if you keep doing this shit to me while I’m at work,” Kaiba ranted, raising his hands and typing mindlessly on his computer, intentionally adding ‘ _fjsdnkj;skjd’_ to his calendar memo.

“What shit?” Atem echoed pleasantly, his cheeks flushing with excitement as he watched Kaiba cross his legs uncomfortably, trying to hide his arousal. “I can feel that, you know?”

Kaiba cursed silently again and uncrossed his legs, hating everything. Shit. Fuck. He hadn’t properly thought this through from all the possible angles, with all the negatives and positives.

What if they ever fought or got into an argument with each other?  
How did he live with an angry Atem inside his head?  
Was he never going to work a day in his life again?  
Actually, his burning question was: how did Yugi manage to live with Atem, through all of his high school years?

His respect for Yugi was rising higher, and Kaiba felt his boner throb angrily back at him, asking to be touched. Fuck. Fuckk….

“When I first felt yours, I was amazed,” Atem continued, smirking as he figured complimenting Kaiba would make him more willing to participate. “I know you can’t focus on anything until it goes away.”

 _Fuck_ , Kaiba shifted his legs and kept his hands on his computer, realizing that Atem knew the most intimate details about himself now, and it would only get worse…or ….better? He wasn’t sure and he didn’t want to think about it too much.

“Let’s try something,” Atem suggested, and Kaiba was quick to shake his head.

“It’s about control,” Atem pressed, specifically emphasizing that word to spark Kaiba’s curiosity. “Just give me partial control…of the hand you touch yourself with.”

Kaiba felt a delirious laugh climbing up his chest, but he remained silent, understanding that this was how Yugi and ‘Yami’ performed their co-ed duels.  
Two-brains, one body.  
Oh fuck, he was so screwed.

“Only for a moment, Kaiba, please,” Atem coaxed, already feeling Kaiba relenting inside his mind. “Yes? Oh, very good…”

Shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath, Kaiba opened them again, expecting to see Atem smiling at him, but to his surprise, he’d disappeared.

“…Atem?” Kaiba called out nervously, and he heard a resounding voice reply in his mind.

“I’m here…”

Oh, thank fuck. Because the visual was really heart-attack inducing.  
  
“Now, I’m here…”

Kaiba felt his own right hand flex and move off his keyboard to rest gently atop his thigh. Horrified, Kaiba tried to lift his hand, but it wouldn’t budge. It remained stubbornly on his leg.

Oh fuck.  
Oh fuck.

  
  
Oh fuck.  
Oh fuck.  
Oh fuck.

Atem could _easily_ control him! Yugi had been right!

“What’s that about Yugi?” Atem asked, instantly interested. “Oh, yes! I know you called Yugi! Did you tell him?”

“N-No…” Kaiba breathed, now wondering how he could hide his own thoughts from Atem, and his fear was rising as fast as his sexual drive. He wanted to experience this, but a part of him was terrified.

“Your mind will continue to split,” Atem said patiently, understanding that Kaiba was frightened, because he felt a pang of fear. “When it has split sufficiently, we will essentially ‘live separately’, which is how we can keep separate thoughts. We’re only like this now because the connection is…fresh.”

“Fuck me,” Kaiba muttered, and Atem misunderstood that completely.

“When you dream tonight, we can try that,” Atem replied excitedly, and he felt his arousal burn with longing—no, or was it Kaiba’s? He couldn’t be too sure anymore, but he didn’t mind, because Kaiba experienced orgasms differently than he did, and he was itching to feel another one. Why wasn’t Kaiba a maniacal sex fiend if climaxing felt so good to him?

Pushing his own questions aside, Atem hooked his thumb over Kaiba’s belt and used his pinky to trace the KC logo on his belt, feeling Kaiba tense and relax his thighs frantically.

 _Hey! Hey, what are you doing! I’m…at…my...desk!_ Kaiba cried wildly, understanding that he could be more expressive inside his head, otherwise he’d be shouting and kicking at Atem…if he was here before him, but he wasn’t! FUCK!

“Use your other hand and unbutton yourself,” Atem nudged Kaiba gently, and Kaiba winced when he felt an odd pressure building at the front of his mind, and his other hand twitched against his will.

Fuck. Either he comply, or Atem would just take control of his other hand….

“I would never do that,” Atem argued, but he was already on the brink of shoving his other hand forward to move Kaiba’s hand to touch the aching erection between his thighs. How was the CEO still fighting him with so much conviction when he felt…like this?!

“You don’t want it?” Atem sighed and let his disappointment swell inside his chest, knowing Kaiba could feel it.  “Very well. I’ll go.”

He slowly withdrew and felt Kaiba clench his fist, clearly torn.

“Then give me your other hand,” Atem said warmly, and to his relief, Kaiba relaxed and snuck his left hand to the edge of his belt, slowly unbuckling it with effort.

His ears were burning and Atem smirked, enjoying Kaiba’s embarrassment as the belt fell away and hung heavily down the side of the chair.

Holding his breath, Kaiba watched his own hand creep across his stomach, groping shamelessly, even roaming down between his legs to give his own balls a firm pat, sending a violent jolt up his body before slowly sliding down into his pants, right past the waistband of his underwear and curling sensually around his hardness.

He shifted automatically to get comfortable and heard a chuckle that made his hair stand on end.

“I really have to thank you, Kaiba,” Atem smiled, inching Kaiba’s underwear down with his other hand, and feeling him shudder when his wet tip was exposed to the air. “I never thought I’d enjoy my life so much until I met you.”

“…Likewise,” Kaiba hissed through gritted teeth, his ears ringing with a tinny sound. He bucked his hips upwards shamelessly and heard Atem laugh inside his head.

“You want it! Say it,” Atem demanded, pressing his palm flat against the inside of Kaiba’s thigh and gazing down at his body, enjoying the wonderful sight of the enticing length protruding out from the V of his pants.

“I want…it,” Kaiba breathed, accepting that he’d lost, and he threw his head back blissfully when his own hand closed around his dick and began rubbing him slowly, up and down, too slowly. Stream of heated fire tricked down his legs and caused them to tremble.  
Faster. He wanted it faster.

“Let me take my time,” Atem said quietly, understanding Kaiba’s impatience, and the throbbing arousal between his legs made his stomach churn. He liked this part of Kaiba the most.  
The intense longing, the furious denial followed by the shameless begging….  
  
Kaiba said nothing and resigned himself to the torture. He watched his own hand untuck half of his shirt and travel up his chest, giving his nipples a playful pinch each, and he left his breath out in a slow hiss. This was…embarrassing! What if someone were to walk in on him right now?!

Atem ignored him and continued to enjoy himself, reaching back down to give Kaiba’s dick a loving squeeze, pumping it and stroking it with a nice rhythm and taking great pleasure in Kaiba’s even breathing every time he gave his foreskin a light tug, he felt Kaiba’s chest tightening with arousal.

Kaiba’s mind was hazy, but he managed to focus enough on his own hand, seeing Atem make him slide his thumb over and around his slit, almost too forcefully, and he convulsed with pleasure, hearing Atem apologizing in his ear, but he ignored it, ranting at him, “stop fucking around and just…touch me!”

It definitely didn’t feel like he was touching himself even though he was watching his own hand doing all of these lewd motions. It felt different every time Atem squeezed him, teased him, pulled away, and came back with enthusiasm, with his laughter in his ear driving him nearly insane.

“Very well!” Atem cried, reaching Kaiba’s pale, slender fingers down between his legs to fondle his balls gently one last time before trailing up the length of his dick and bringing his hand down around it with force, feeling Kaiba leaning forward in his chair, his breaths soft and light, but rushed, while his heart thundered in his chest, almost in sync with the weight of his hand coming down on his dick, summoning a rising, curling orgasm from deep within and sending him reeling, his body shuddering and shaking with happiness as he came in his own hand.

“Let me see!” Atem hissed, but he couldn’t see anything other than what Kaiba was seeing, which was the edge of his laptop as he doubled over from the force of his orgasm, his head rushing with bliss before his senses sharpened again, and all he could feel was the warm semen dripping down his knuckles and into his underwear.

“Shit!” Kaiba stumbled out from behind his desk and raced for the bathroom, shoving his hands under the sink while he stepped out of his pants, nearly tripping over his own pant legs.

Atem watched this with amusement and asked, “did you bring a spare?”

 _“No!”_ Kaiba growled, hating Atem with all his might and hoping the king could feel it. To his dismay, Atem let out a hearty laugh and embraced him.

“Bring a spare next time,” Atem grinned, reaching his hand under Kaiba’s chin to tilt his head up, their eyes meeting in the mirror.

Kaiba froze with the water still running over his hands at the sight of a ghostly Atem standing beside him with his tanned arms wrapped around his waist, with his face peeking playfully out from his side.

“Did you enjoy that?” Kaiba asked gruffly, and he saw Atem nod, his eyes sparkling with joy.

“Can we go again?” Atem pressed, and he let out another laugh when he felt Kaiba throb with excitement, and his stomach ached from the peals of the laughter.

That had meant, yes, right?

Grinding his teeth furiously, Kaiba ignored Atem and bent down to pick his underwear up from his pants, throwing them in the sink and running water over them.

Fuck. This was his life now.

Outside, his secretary perked her ears up, hearing Kaiba laughing heartily to himself, and she blushed, palming her face.

The CEO sure was having fun on his first day back. She wasn’t going to question it, because she’d been on paid leave for almost a year and was actually glad to be back.

 

  
 **《** **CHAPTER 21** **》**

 

Yugi was just closing up the shop when his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he sighed, pulling it out and seeing the name ‘Kaiba’ flashing across his screen.  
  
Good, well, at least this wasn’t another unknown number. 

He answered it fluidly while locking the door behind him, “Yes?”

“Yugi…” Kaiba spoke quietly not wanting to wake Atem, because he had finally felt the spirit fall asleep. “How did you do it?”

“Uh…what?” Yugi frowned and sat down behind the counter, drumming his fingers on the glass, growing annoyed. “I don’t wanna play guessing games, Kaiba, just say it. What happened?

“When…the king lived inside your head,” Kaiba said hoarsely, his heart rate spiking slightly with panic when he felt Atem shift in his sleep. “How did you hide your thoughts and intentions from him?”

“Oh! In the soul room,” Yugi said, leaping at a chance to talk about Atem to anyone who would listen, because he knew he’d exhausted his friend’s ears about this topic. “There were two rooms—”

“Yes, I know, the black door,” Kaiba replied impatiently, and Yugi nodded, excited.

“Yeah, I mean if I wanted some privacy, like to go on a date or something,” Yugi continued, a part of him wondering why this conversation felt so natural. “He’d go in there and won’t come out. Or when we got mad at each other, sometimes, I wouldn’t see him for days.”

“Days?” Kaiba echoed. He didn’t know what an hour without Atem would feel like now, let alone days.

“Yep. Those freaked me out the most,” Yugi said, nodding even though he knew Kaiba couldn’t see him. “I always knocked on his door to try and apologize, but I don’t know, maybe he was crying in there. I don’t know. I can’t enter that room without permission.”

“What? Really?” Kaiba asked in a rush, not caring if he was disturbing Yugi, but this was information he needed badly that no book or internet could provide for him.

“Yea, and he can’t enter my room without my permission,” Yugi said, wanting to change the subject now. “What’d you really call about? Stop beating around the bush.”

“I…” Kaiba froze in mild terror when he felt Atem wake up and sound excited in his mind.

 _Yugi?! Is that Yugi? You’re calling him again_! Atem leapt out of bed and raced to the soul window, standing on his tip toes and craning his neck, trying to see, but all he could make out was the window, which Kaiba was gazing out of while they talked.

“Okay, clearly, you’ve got issues,” Yugi declared, pulling the phone away from his ear and hanging up irritably.

“Goddamnit, Atem!” Kaiba rounded on the pharaoh, and in his mind’s eye, saw him blink his large, angular eyes at him questioningly.

“What? What?” Atem cried, holding his hands up defensively.

“Go away,” Kaiba said coldly, deciding to test his new information he’d learned. “Like, back into your soul room. I’m trying to have a private conversation.”  _A surprise._

“Very well, but I already know what you have planned,” Atem shot back haughtily, marching through the house with beautiful furniture to access the door in the garden which led back into his soul room.  
He could hear Kaiba’s thoughts.  
Kaiba was trying to hide a surprise meeting with Yugi from him! How thoughtful!

Kaiba heard this and restrained himself from celebrating until he felt Atem disappear from his consciousness completely, and he took a deep, shuddering breath before letting it out again. The weight he felt nagging at the back of his mind had vanished.

Holy…thank…fuck!

His phone buzzed in his hand, and Kaiba answered it apprehensively, wondering why Yugi was calling him back after hanging up on him.

“Kaiba-kun, I just had a thought,” Yugi talked fast, trying to prevent him from interrupting. “I know you want to be friends, and I know it’s hard for you to admit that you want to be friends, so I resolve to be more accommodating, at least that’s what Anzu says. Now…last chance. What is it?”

“Can I have your brain scanned?” Kaiba asked, the words slipping out too fast before he could stop himself. “And what happened when you were separated from the Puzzle? Would he still be there? I mean, inside your head?”

“I…always took him with me everywhere,” Yugi replied, deciding to gloss over Kaiba’s invasive request, finally understanding why Kaiba was bothering him so much about the Puzzle. “Ah, but when it was shattered that one time, he did disappear completely, and when he came back, he told me he was locked in darkness. After that, I vowed to keep the Puzzle safe, forever. And I did.”

“You did,” Kaiba agreed readily. The Puzzle was in great shape for an ancient relic that had been through the care of a high school student.

“Th-Thanks?” Yugi wrinkled his brow, mildly confused, but he barreled on with Anzu’s suggestions on how to deal with Kaiba. “Wanna grab a burger together?”

“No,” Kaiba growled, before he changed his mind in a flash. “Wait, yes. Come over tomorrow evening. I’ll send a car.”

“W-What?” Yugi cried, deeply confused. “Can I bring...a friend?”

“No, come alone,” Kaiba snarled, and he hung up.

He knew if Atem found out he’d been lying; he’d never be forgiven.  
He had to invite Yugi over for the ‘surprise visit’.

He had a lot to learn about ‘soul room’s and keeping Atem’s life private from his own. He knew he had to set some boundaries, or it would immediately become unhealthy. Just because they were literally joined together didn’t mean they had to share everything.  
  
They were still individuals, and Kaiba briefly considered emailing a doctor before he stopped himself.

No. He had to deal with this himself.

If the media caught wind of him asking these types of questions to a relationship doctor, the speculation about who his supposed girlfriend was would never end.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 22** **》**

 

Atem tapped his foot impatiently on the edge of his bed, watching the minutes tick by on the digital clock he’d materialized on his nightstand. It had been twenty minutes. Surely that was enough time for Kaiba to plan this ‘surprise’ with Yugi.

Leaping off the bed and racing to the door, Atem gave the doorknob a wrench, and was horrified when his skin burned.

He hissed and yanked his hand back, wondering what had happened.

The doorknob was hot?!

Carefully reaching out a finger, he poked at it, and discovered the metal was cool to touch.

Alright….

He gently rested his entire palm on it and began to turn it. The more he tried to turn, the more it heated up, so Atem jerked his hand back, his heart thundering in his chest with fear and despair.

What had happened?

He had been locked inside Kaiba’s mind?! Had he done something to make him angry?  
Perhaps Kaiba was frightened of him? Because of the masturbating incident?  
Kaiba thought he’d lose control of his body?

No, fear didn’t feel like this. This felt like…mild anger, coupled with fear.

Well, he would wait it out. He knew Kaiba was temperamental and tortured by the demons behind all those doors, so perhaps Kaiba merely got confused and sorted this door as a hostile one. Yugi had locked him away for weeks on end without realizing it, and then while he steadily got over his fear of having a second presence in his mind, the door would unlock occasionally.

 _He’ll come see me when he’s ready,_ Atem decided, walking back to the bed and sitting himself down on it. In the meantime, he would clean up this room and make it more livable.

Atem knew he could easily figure out a way to pick the lock, or break the door down, but why would he want to hurt Kaiba like that without warning?

That would only thin the trust between them, and that was counterproductive.

\--------------------------------------

Kaiba tossed and turned in bed, wondering why he hadn’t heard from Atem all day after ordering him back into his soul room. Staring up at the high ceiling, Kaiba called out to him quietly, “Atem?”

And received no answer. The silence was deafening.

Closing his eyes, Kaiba wondered if Atem had somehow heard his thoughts, and then gotten mad or offended.

\----------------------------------  
Inside his soul room, Atem was brooding, wondering why Kaiba hadn’t come in to find him yet, or why the doorknob remained hot.

Perhaps he’d angered Kaiba in some way, and now, he couldn’t apologize for it.

Sighing, he kicked back on the bed and gazed up at the dark ceiling, calling out for lights and seeing a magnificent chandelier materialize above his head. Beautiful.

Atem rolled over onto his back and buried his face into his pillow, feeling annoying tears building behind his eyes.

He knew this was unnatural.  
He was a burden to his hosts.  
First Yugi, and now Kaiba.  
He couldn’t live any other way, and this resulted in being locked inside his soul room, which wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was a constant reminder that he was…unwelcome.

 _Why did he pull me out of the Afterlife if he’s going to keep me locked in here?_ Atem fumed, hating how tears leaked from his eyes against his will.

Perhaps Kaiba should just put him back. This wasn’t sustainable.  
He didn’t want to feel like a caged animal or a pet.  
This wasn’t a way to live life.

Drifting off slowly, Atem bit back an angry sob and pressed the pillow tighter to his face, feeling a curl of pity for himself. If Kaiba showed his face, they needed to talk about this.

\--------------------------------------

Kaiba slowly pried his eyes open and found himself standing in a narrow hallway with the many doors panning down the entire length, and he let his breath out in a tight sigh.  
Finally.  
It seemed he’d finally managed to fall asleep, goddamnit.  
Where the hell was Atem?

Hurrying down the hall, he winced when he heard more yelling coming from a closed door, and he dashed past it, not wanting another horror to emerge from the other side.

He saw his own door glowing back at him, and he sighed, relief. Stopping in front of it, he turned to inspect Atem’s door, shocked when he saw that three deadbolts had appeared, keeping him from entering.

What…the fuck?!

“Atem?” Kaiba called, and he heard no response.

Oh fuck. Was the Pharaoh mad at him?!

Atem pried his eyes open when he heard Kaiba calling out to him from the other side, and he leapt out of bed, racing to the door and grabbing the knob, forgetting for a second that it was still hot, and he let out a pained shout, cradling his hand furiously when the skin began to turn red.

“What was that? Are you okay?!” Kaiba cried, his fingers fumbling at the locks, cursing when he realized the last one required a key. “Do you have the key? Why are you doing this?”

“Why are you doing this?!” Atem shouted back through his frustrated tears. “Did I do something? You want to keep me in here forever? Like a pet?”

“Wh-What?” Kaiba breathed, his eyes burning at the tiny keyhole, his heart thundering painfully in his chest.

“You locked me in here all day! All night?” Atem hissed, giving the door a vicious kick, and Kaiba jumped in fear on the other side.

“I don’t know to unlock this!” Kaiba shot back, placing his palm anxiously on the door, his stomach twisting with anxiety. “Where did these locks come from? They weren’t here before!”

“Locks?” Atem wondered, his anger fading slightly. “You have the key, don’t you? This is your mind! Call out for a key.”

“How?!” Kaiba fumed, and Atem gave the door another kick.

“Just say it! ‘Key’!” Atem cried, exasperated, and he heard Kaiba repeat after him, sounding apprehensive.

“Key?” Kaiba muttered, and to his amazement, a set of keys appeared on the ground by his feet.

W-What the fuck?!

“Did it work?” Atem called, and he was answered by the locks clicking open, and the door swung back to reveal a harassed-looking Kaiba, with his hair slightly messy from the ordeal.

“Why did you do that?” Kaiba snapped, unaware that he was the one who had locked Atem’s door in the first place. “Where did you get those locks?”

“I didn’t do anything…they’re yours!” Atem protested, crossing his arms tightly, not to be intimidated. “Your mind has barriers. You either activated them yourself or it happens unconsciously.”

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at Atem and didn’t say anything for a long moment before nodding stiffly and closing the door behind himself.

They stared at each other before Atem turned with a careless wave of his hand over his shoulder, “make yourself comfortable,” and he sat down on his bed, watching Kaiba’s eyes roam around his room with mild interest.

There was a row of shelves with all of Yugi’s old toys, stacks of duel monster’s cards, and many picture frames. It was sparsely furnished, but comfortable. The floor was a pretty, beige hardwood, and the furniture had the same feel as the ones inside the large house.

There was no desk, but there was a large window, and the curtains around them had been drawn tightly shut.

“Your window doesn’t have a view,” Kaiba said, wondering if this meant something, because his own window had been open, and he could see the night sky outside of it.

“Correct,” Atem replied stiffly. His soul room never had a window, and he never knew why. He’d given up trying to figure it out. Even Yugi’s soul room had an outside to his window.

“Why not?” Kaiba asked delicately, still standing a few feet away, feeling extremely unwelcome in Atem’s room.  
The Pharaoh had his arms and legs tightly crossed, and he wasn’t wearing all his usual finery.  
He was shirtless, with only a robe on the lower half of his body.  
The usual embroidered sash and golden armbands were absent too.

“I don’t know,” Atem said, turning his head away to avoid looking Kaiba any longer. “What do you want?”

“Nothing…” Kaiba answered truthfully, looking up and seeing the chandelier above his head. Weird…?

“Then leave, and don’t forget to lock me in on your way out,” Atem said nastily, and he received a worried look from Kaiba in response that made his heart skip a nervous beat in his chest.

“Fine,” Kaiba sniffed, deciding he would leave angry Atem alone for the rest of the night anyway.

Before Atem could protest, Kaiba turned on his heel and slammed the door on his way out, leaving him sitting in a suffocating, ringing silence.

Palming his face in agony, Atem grit his teeth and groaned. It hadn’t even been a whole day and night, and they had fought. This wasn’t going well.  
He’d better apologize.

Walking through the room, Atem creaked the door open to check for threats in the hallway before dashing across the way to knock firmly on Kaiba’s door, suddenly reminded of his early days with Yugi in his mind.  
It was the same. Knocking back and forth, sometimes even a note under the door, or a note on the nightstand if they had accidentally switched in their sleep.

“What!” Kaiba’s voice was muffled through the door and Atem knocked again.

“Let me in,” Atem said quietly, glancing down the narrow hall and getting goosebumps from the eerie silence. “Hurry, before that dog eats me.”

Kaiba rushed to answer the door and let Atem sweep past him into his room.

He shut the door quietly and pinched the bridge of his nose, biting back a sigh.

“I’m sorry,” Atem said confidently, throwing Kaiba a glance over his shoulder before he made himself comfortable on the couch. “Can you make your TV play something?”

“No. I don’t know,” Kaiba replied stiffly, eyeing Atem with caution.

What was this? Was the king still angry or…?

“Come, sit,” Atem urged, patting the seat beside him and leaning back into the cushions to stare at the blank TV hung on the wall before him. “Make it play something.”

Kaiba complied and moved to sit beside Atem, turning his head to stare at him. Atem angled his head to the side and flashed Kaiba a pretty smile, leaning in to press a soft kiss on his cheek before quickly backing away.  
There. Forgiven.  
  
Kaiba’s cheeks flushed and burned at the place where Atem’s lips had lingered, and he said nothing, turning to face the TV, wondering how to turn it on.

It turned on automatically.

Confused, he felt Atem rest a hot hand on his knee and smile at the screen, nodding approvingly.

“Is this a favorite memory of yours?” the king asked, and Kaiba was horrified when he saw a younger version of himself on the TV, pulling Mokuba by the hand while they ran down a clear, sandy beach.

“That is cute!” Atem cried, and to his dismay, the TV shut off instantly.  
Ah…perhaps he shouldn’t have said anything.

There was an awkward silence before Atem broke it. “Play one of me,” he suggested, and Kaiba ran his tongue along the inside of his teeth, trying to recall the first time he’d ever seen the Pharaoh.  
  
Atem waited patiently and saw the screen flicker on, showing the phone ringing on Kaiba’s desk.

Intrigued, he leaned forward and saw Kaiba’s pale hand reach down to answer the phone, and the tiny screen on his desk displayed Joey, making an obscene face at the camera.

“Back away from it, you imbecile,” Kaiba could be heard saying, and Joey responded with a solid middle finger.

“Hey maaaan, wassup. We need…” Joey drawled, and Atem watched the scene intently, hearing a tiny ringing coming from the screen.  
Kaiba was shutting Joey out.  
Was that really what he heard when he didn’t want to listen to people?

Kaiba’s view sharpened and blurred when Joey said, “…Yugi lost a duel…” and Atem could see Kaiba focusing intently on his face in the background, looking melancholic.

 _Oh,_ Atem breathed, remembering this moment clearly. This was when he had lost Yugi from the Puzzle in a duel to Rafael. He was in sole control of Yugi’s body right up until he tag-dueled against Dartz with Kaiba beside him.  
This was Kaiba’s first memory of him?!  
How…touching.

“ _YUGI LOST?!”_ Kaiba’s voice from the memory shook the entire room, and Kaiba himself winced at his own tone.

The memory stopped at a close-up of Atem’s grief-stricken face, and Kaiba folded his arms defensively across his chest.

“There, happy?” Kaiba asked sourly, and he wasn’t prepared for Atem to dive at him with a kiss. He kept his eyes wide open, blinking rapidly when Atem’s lips moved sensually over his, and he saw a tanned hand come up and cover his eyes teasingly.

“Close them!” Atem insisted, and he pressed himself forward to kiss Kaiba again, not wanting to be stared at because he was feeling unusually self-conscious. Kaiba really knew how to tell him apart from Yugi, and that thought made his heart soar.

All of those times Kaiba had tauntingly called him Yugi, they had been just that: taunts.

He draped his arms around Kaiba’s shoulders, pulling him in closer and sliding his tongue in through the tops of his teeth and feeling Kaiba nibble the tip of his tongue playfully in response, sending a wild shiver up his spine.

Kissing…felt different when they did it in the soul room. Was Kaiba feeling it too?

Kaiba ran his palm up the side of Atem’s leg, relishing in his soft skin and the taste of his breath was fresh, but familiar. Why did he taste different today?

“What did you eat?” Kaiba demanded, feeling Atem clamp his hands down on the sides of his face and pull him into another heated, passionate kiss, falling over backwards onto the cushions and wrapping his bare legs around his waist, keeping him trapped in an awkward horizontal position.

“You,” Atem answered fluidly, sticking his tongue out to lick Kaiba’s cheek, and he earned a solid hiss in response.

“Don’t do that. I’m being serious,” Kaiba said, stiffening his elbows and trying to get up. “Let’s move to the bed.”

“What? Do I taste bad?” Atem wondered, and he let himself be pulled up off the couch and led over to the bed.

“No, you taste…” _amazing_ , Kaiba finished the thought in his head, and wasn’t prepared for Atem to purposely trip him, causing him to land chin-down onto the pillows on his bed.

“Ha!” Atem cried triumphantly, quickly straddling Kaiba from behind and rocking himself back and forth excitedly.

Annoyed, Kaiba fought back half-heartedly, but eventually gave up and let Atem run his hands roughly down his back, sending light shivers down his body.  His shirt was bunched up around his neck, and Kaiba tried to lift his head, his neck aching.

“No, let me have my turn,” Atem said bossily, threading his hand through the back of Kaiba’s hair and pressing his face down gently into the mattress. “Let me see _you_ from a sexy angle.”

“I’m sexy from every angle. Let me up,” Kaiba snapped, feeling his boner pressing uncomfortably against his stomach while Atem sat pertinently on his ass, clearly enjoying himself too much.

Warm hands encircled his waist and teasingly pulled his waistband lower, until it caught on the bottoms of his asscheeks, and he heard Atem snicker, and give his ass a grope.

“S-Stop that!” Kaiba hissed, trying to twist away, but Atem wrestled him back down and kept him pinned to the mattress by the shoulders, grinding his clothed erection between his exposed ass cheeks.

Kaiba’s eyes watered and felt himself leak with excitement at the tip when Atem bent forward and whispered in his ear, “Feelings intensify in your own soul room,” causing him to shudder happily in response.

 He stayed very still and let Atem strip his pants off completely, and felt a hot breath pan down between his legs, and he resisted the urge to clamp his knees down around Atem’s head.

Atem reached his hand down and palmed Kaiba’s balls softly, grinning to himself. They were so fun to play with…

He saw Kaiba slowly push himself up on all fours, causing his balls to dangle lower in his palm, and Atem chuckled, amused. Kaiba threw him a furious look over his shoulder, reaching around to slowly give his ass cheeks a spread, flashing the pharaoh his hole and enjoying the blush creeping across the king’s face.

Cute.

“Lube?” Atem asked confidently, and a plain white bottle appeared on the bed beside his knee. He picked it up triumphantly and uncapped it, drizzling it down Kaiba’s ass cheeks and seeing the CEO wince.

“You’re just going to stick it in? How romantic,” Kaiba said sarcastically, but deep down, his stomach twisted at his own words. He wanted Atem to pound him into oblivion until he forgot his own name. Why was he taking his sweet time, ‘savoring’ every moment?

“Yes, yes I am,” Atem answered quietly, giving Kaiba’s ass another grope as he rubbed the edge of his knuckle against the clenching entrance, lifting the hem of his robe to give Kaiba a glimpse of his own arousal before sitting up on his knees and positioning himself behind Kaiba’s ass, making sure to thrust his finger into the tight, pink hole which was begging to be spread.

Kaiba clenched around Atem’s finger and felt his body rocking with a mini orgasm at the wonderful, alien feeling. H-Holy fuck. Deeper. More. More! Every time Atem curled his fingers up higher inside him, it would hit a pleasurable spot inside him and cause him to convulse with hot and cold shivers.  
Holy fuck.  
Sex in the other room didn’t feel like this. Atem was right.  
Soul room sex was…mind-blowing.

Atem slowly withdrew his fingers and heard Kaiba hiss at him.

“Put it back!”

“I will,” Atem nodded reassuringly, bumping the wet tip of his dick against Kaiba’s ass cheek and seeing Kaiba reach around, using one pale hand to grab his left cheek to give himself a wide spread, his arousal throbbing with excitement at the thought of being filled.

Atem held his breath and steadied himself by resting a tanned hand on Kaiba’s hip, and he slowly eased himself in, his world spinning with ecstasy at the tight heat that sucked him in right to the hilt, and he heard Kaiba let out a strangled laugh. That encouraged him to buck his hips forward tentatively, with nothing but desperate, ragged breaths coming from Kaiba beneath him.

Lost in the waves of new sensations, Kaiba shut his eyes and let himself feel, the way Atem’s hands dragged down the sides of his body before giving him another particularly hard thrust, and the way he was stretched, wider, fuller, so full that he felt complete, satisfied, and whole. He was one with Atem, at last—in body, mind, and soul. This was why it felt so good. More.  
More!

His body shuddered violently, and Atem gave him another passionate thrust, nearly blinding him with pleasure when he felt a hot burst of semen gush thickly up inside him and trickle down his inner thigh.  
  
Atem’s pace was relentless but loving, and Kaiba didn’t realize he’d orgasmed until Atem’s slippery hand came down around his dick to give him more energetic strokes, sending him wild, over the brink of a wonderful ocean of pleasure as he was repeatedly filled from behind and pleasured in the front. Atem’s hand was going numb, but he ignored it, barely able to keep his eyes open while his mind hummed happily and shut off when Kaiba’s long legs looped over his ankles, keeping him locked permanently on his knees with his dick stuck tightly in his ass, and he couldn’t do anything other than continue rocking his hips forward, his legs also going numb with happiness. His cum was gathering delightfully around the rim of Kaiba’s asshole, and Atem took a moment to pause and enjoy this image, before gently pulling out and collapsing with exhaustion, his body still shaking and shivering from the remnants of his rough orgasm.

Kaiba was still on his stomach, and he turned his head to rest his hand on Atem’s cheek, seeing the pharaoh blush and smile prettily back at him, their chest heaving in sync as they tried to catch their breaths.

“It does…feel different. Better,” Kaiba managed to say after he caught his breath, and he flipped over onto his back, letting Atem inch closer and drape his arm affectionately over his chest which was still rising and falling with heavy breathing.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Atem said warmly, closing his eyes contently before making a confession. “I discovered this when I was…fantasizing about you.”

He opened one eye, expecting to be laughed at, but Kaiba was beaming proudly at him.

“Yeah? Glad you discovered that,” Kaiba replied, his heart bursting with joy at this new piece of information.

They laid together in blissful silence before Kaiba mustered up the courage to ask, “where’s all your jewelry?”

“Took it off,” Atem replied plainly, reaching down to lace his hand through the tops of Kaiba’s long, slender fingers. “I want to wear something else. Wearing the same thing every day is boring. Ah, I wanted to consult you on my new wardrobe!  
  
“What? You’re changing your clothes?” Kaiba asked nervously, not wanting Atem to go back to wearing Yugi’s BDSM-esque outfits. He preferred the robes and jewelry!

“No, I’m building new clothes,” Atem clarified, giving Kaiba a warm smile and snuggling up against his toned arm, marveling at their difference. “Look at how pale you are!”

“Look at how dark you are,” Kaiba replied mindlessly, still concerned about the outfit switching. “What are you going to wear now?”

“You can find me clothes in magazines, and then recreate them here, like I did with the house,” Atem mused, his eyes fluttering shut as he sighed happily. “I want to wear a suit, like you.”

“Alright,” Kaiba replied uneasily, half-worried he might not be able to contain himself or focus at work at all if he ever saw Atem in a full, sharp suit. Too sexy. He might die.

He closed his eyes and felt Atem brushing his bangs out of his eyes. Ah…that felt nice.

There was also this irritable buzzing coming from beside his ear. It wouldn’t stop….

Kaiba pried his eyes open tiredly and realized he’d woken up, and his alarm was ringing.

“Oh…good…morning…” Kaiba heard Atem bite back a yawn, and he slowly felt the spirit fall asleep quietly in the back of his head.

Great. Atem got to sleep in. Good for him.  
  
Stretching slightly, Kaiba sat up and rolled his neck and shoulders, thinking he felt quite well-rested and refreshed.  
  
Well, maybe the intense sex counted as various cycles of deep sleep. Maybe.  
He’d need to monitor his own sleep to figure that out.  
Or he could ask Yugi…who was coming over today—tonight.

Shaking the sleepiness off, Kaiba pushed the covers off his body and slowly made his way into the bathroom.

Life was good.

\------------------------------------------

 Yugi slid into the back of the limousine and tried not to grimace at the scent of leather and alcohol wafting up around him. Did Kaiba drink in this often or what?

His phone buzzed with a concerned text from Anzu, and he read it half-heartedly.

_“Be careful! You never know what Kaiba has planned. I heard he ‘changed drastically’ after recovering from coma.”_

_“I’m OK Anzu,”_ Yugi wrote back as the car rocked him gently from side to side when it pulled onto the freeway. “ _But keep your phone on just in case. IDK why he asked me to come alone….”_

 _“Yea…”_ was Anzu’s reply, and Yugi sighed, clicking his phone off to stick it back into his pocket.

Kaiba had better not pull another one of his insane Death T “pranks”.

\----------------------------------------  
  
Atem paced Kaiba’s office in a solid circle, slightly bored. The TV was now playing re-runs from this morning, and that had been six hours ago. He couldn’t believe this was Kaiba’s schedule.

He was awake and doing a whole day’s worth of work before some people even woke up! And now, it was getting dark outside, and Kaiba still showed no signs of stopping.

There was a pang of hunger every now and then, and Atem was growing tired of it.

“Kaiba, eat something already, please?” Atem asked, sitting down on the couch and watching the TV play a commercial he’d seen eight times before already. “How about some wine?”

“No drinking…at work,” Kaiba replied through gritted teeth, managing to safely save his work before he felt Atem’s hands raking through his hair, sending tingles down his spine. O-Okay…that felt nice but…why?

“Work is over! You saved!” Atem sang, sounding increasingly more impatient.

A calendar notification popped up just as Kaiba rested his hand on the top of his laptop, and his chest tightened when Atem read it with ease.

“Meeting with Yugi @8:30?!” Atem gasped, giving Kaiba a playful nudge as the CEO shut his laptop with an offensive _snap._

“That was a mistake,” Kaiba lied badly, rising out of his seat and rushing to grab his coat off the hanger by the door and slipping it on with ease while Atem circled him, giving him a seductive smile.

“You know I miss him,” Atem said gratefully, and he was ignored.

Kaiba swept out the door, also ignoring his secretary who rose to her feet to bow respectfully as he passed. Atem gave her an apologetic look even though he knew she couldn’t see him, and he reprimanded Kaiba teasingly, “bow back.”

“Shut up,” Kaiba muttered, and his secretary poked her head up, seeing the CEO facing the wall of the elevator, talking to his own reflection.

 _Ah…. whatever. Time to go home!_ She thought to herself, hastily powering down her computer and grabbing her purse.

The CEO was an enigma.

 

 **《** **CHAPTER 23** **》**

  
Yugi stepped out of the limousine just in time to see another one pulling up around the fountain, and he stood his ground, watching Kaiba sweep out of the backseat and give him a condescending look before marching up the stairs to his mansion.

 “Okay…. Wait up, Kaiba-kun!” Yugi called, racing after Kaiba’s tall form, unable to see the mirage of Atem, circling him with excitement.

“Yugi! You look well!” Atem beamed, and he darted towards Kaiba, asking, “Why aren’t you talking to him?”

Kaiba grit his teeth and said nothing, realizing he also hadn’t thought this meeting through. He was merely meeting Atem’s every whim and suffering the consequences afterwards.

“How are you…feeling?” Yugi panted, desperate to keep up with Kaiba’s long strides through the house, and he didn’t have time to pause to admire the beautiful furniture around him.

“He’s recovered,” Atem replied conversationally, floating beside Yugi’s shoulder, throwing him a forlorn look. “I’ve missed you, Aibou. You’ve gotten taller!”

Kaiba set his jaw and didn’t stop walking until he was out in the garden, feeling Yugi nearly trip down the stairs in his haste to follow him.

“W-Wow it’s like Alice here,” Yugi commented, noting the various rose bushes. “Now, Kaiba, stop making me nervous. What do you want?”

Kaiba turned to look Yugi in the eye for the first time, before looking away hastily, his stomach turning at the two spiky-haired individuals gazing hopefully back at him. Just a further reminder that he was always the odd one out.  
Atem and Yugi’s connection had always been stronger, only because Yugi was the vessel.

“Kaiba?” Yugi shook his head tiredly, throwing the sliding glass door behind him a nervous look. “Fine. I guess I can leave. Thanks for wasting my t—”

“Let’s duel,” Kaiba said, for lack of something to say, because he’d seen Yugi’s deck hanging from its box on one of his two belts.

“Y-You called me all the way here for a duel, and not…dinner?” Yugi asked meekly, his stomach growling in disappointment.

“Feed him first!” Atem insisted, his cheeks pink. “Kaiba, he’s hungry…”

“Fine, go eat something,” Kaiba scoffed, feeling his own stomach turn with hunger. “Fine. We’ll both eat something.”

“How about we duel and eat at the same time, so I can leave,” Yugi suggested, and Kaiba brushed past him silently, wearing a grimace.

He followed the CEO into a wide, open kitchen and briefly marveled at the long, white, countertops before pulling out a stool and propping himself up in it, swinging his legs happily. To his dismay, Kaiba exited the kitchen, leaving him sitting all alone.

What the…heck?! Why all the silence? Kaiba-kun really had changed.  
He’d become more of an asshole than ever before.

“Where are you going?” Atem fumed, following Kaiba up the grand staircase and seeing him entire his room, marching straight to his desk to yank open one of the topmost drawers.

“Getting my deck,” Kaiba replied plainly, hating everything. “You’re going to help me defeat him.”

“What?” Atem cried, racing after Kaiba as he hurried out of the room and made his way back into the kitchen.

He saw Kaiba pull up a stool opposite to Yugi on the marble countertops and set his deck down on the surface.

“Your king isn’t here,” Kaiba said loftily, his heart pounding thickly in his ears at what he was about to do. “Game start.”

“I’m hungry!” Yugi protested, pointing at the stove behind Kaiba’s shoulder. “I can’t duel properly on an empty stomach.”

“Fine, fine!” Kaiba snarled, slipping his hand into his pocket to text his chef. “I called him. He’s coming.”

“Wh—no one is coming,” Yugi mumbled, palming his face in exhaustion. “Ugh. Fine. Let me shuffle…”

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and picked up his deck too, giving it a firm shuffle, feeling Atem hovering around them both, his eyes wide with interest.

A man wearing a white apron floated to the stove and clicked the flame on, giving Yugi a start because he’d been so preoccupied with staring at his hand, he hadn’t realized someone had come in.

“Someone cooks for you!” Yugi’s eyes widened with envy. “Can he make a hamburger? No, wait, I want…. curry!”

Kaiba rolled his eyes and set two cards face down, seeing Atem nodding gravely by his elbow. Wait a minute…was this cheating? Could Atem see Yugi’s cards?  
Was this why he’d always lost to the twins? What the fuck!  
He should rescind Yugi’s Battle City Duel Champion title!

“Attack,” Yugi said plainly, flipping one card face up, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, responding with his own flip-attack monster, and Yugi tossed down a quick-play trap card, causing Kaiba to flounder.

Wait…shit. Yugi was actually a competent duelist.  
Atem was just _watching!_

The warm scent of fresh vegetables and curry floated through the air, and Kaiba’s stomach gnarled happily in response. Oh fuck, he was hungrier than he’d originally thought.

“Response?” Yugi asked testily, setting his cards down on the table with a yawn, and Kaiba surveyed the field with a sharp eye, hating that Yugi had managed to summon two level seven monsters in less than three turns.

“Stall,” Atem mused, giving Kaiba a playful smile. “He’s surpassing you Kaiba, better watch out—”

“Shut up,” Kaiba growled, and Yugi gave him a strange look before it split into a boyish grin.

“Stumped?” Yugi prodded, his eyes roaming around Kaiba’s living space with an air of interest.

“Just…hungry,” Kaiba muttered, his ears burning with a mixture of humiliation and fury. He took Atem’s advice and made a huge roundabout turn that caused Yugi to stick his entire hand back into his deck, shuffle, and then do the same back to him.  
Was this stalling enough?!

To his immense relief, Kaiba saw a Blue-Eyes waiting for him in his hand, followed by a useful magic card, and a fusion spell. Cake.

“YAY food!” Yugi exclaimed, totally ignoring Kaiba’s flamboyant move of summoning all three of his Blue-Eyes with a clever sacrifice, even taking one of his own monsters out of commission.

Sliding three chairs over, Yugi pulled the plate of curry closer and began to dig in, abandoning the duel half-way. Atem snickered and watched his Aibou eat with enthusiasm.

“What’s so funny?” Kaiba breathed, hating how the duel had been stopped at a crucial point. “Come back here, Yugi.”

“You win,” Yugi shrugged carelessly. “I lose. Come eat.”

Grinding his teeth, Kaiba set his hand down and moved several chairs down to also join Yugi, seeing his chef quietly leave after hanging his apron up on the rack by the door.

“Wow…this tastes like Five-Star curry!” Yugi exclaimed, and Kaiba said nothing, bending his head down to eat silently.

“Like, you know, the restaurant, in Yokohoma?” Yugi added, completely at ease with carrying a conversation by himself. “Hey, didn’t you steal one of their chefs? I think I read on twitter that you took their top chef—”

“He came to me asking for an easier job, I wasn’t going to say ‘no’,” Kaiba answered shortly, his grip tightening over his spoon. “Shut up and eat.”

Atem surveyed this scene with his heart incredibly warm. This was what life looked like when he’d been away. It was so peaceful.

“Kaiba-kun…did you see him?” Yugi asked stiffly, setting his spoon down on his empty plate with a clink and giving the CEO a tentative smile. “A-Atem?”

Atem froze and shook his head, hoping Kaiba wouldn’t answer.  
He didn’t want to disrupt Yugi’s life further!  
It was nice to see that his Aibou had grown up well and moved on without him!

Kaiba saw Atem furiously shaking his head out from the corner of his eye, and understood.

“No, I didn’t see him,” Kaiba said, his throat closing up at the lie. The king was standing right there…! Why didn’t Atem want Yugi to know?! Wasn’t that the whole point of this meeting?!

“Good,” Yugi’s shoulders relaxed visibly, and he drummed his fingers on the counter. “Because wherever he is, he deserves peace and happiness. He’s lived through so much already, you know?”

  
“Uh huh,” Kaiba replied noncommittally, his heart thudding in his ears when Atem spoke to him directly.

_Tell him about our duel in the throne room, but nothing else._

“…He’s gone through maybe ten lifetimes!” Yugi said breathlessly, and Kaiba snapped his head up eerily and made direct eye contact for the first time since his arrival in the house and said, “I challenged him to a duel, and won.”

“Y-You…what?” Yugi squeaked, his eyes watering heavily. “Did he say anything…a-about me?”

 _That I miss you and glad to see you’re doing well,_ Atem said in a rush, and Kaiba repeated him, feeling like a telephone.

“O-Oh I-I miss him too,” Yugi whispered, lowering his head and folding his hand formally in his lap. “Thank you, Kaiba-kun.”

They sat together in awkward silence before Atem prodded Kaiba to ask, “For what?”

“For seeing him and making sure he’s happy there,” Yugi said, nodding vigorously, and Atem’s heart wrenched with guilt.

Ah it was better if Yugi didn’t know he was with Kaiba now….

“He’s a little too happy,” Kaiba growled, and Yugi beamed at him.

“As long as you keep inviting me over for an exciting duel, I’ll miss him a lot less,” Yugi declared, squaring his shoulders back proudly. “I’ve learned a lot from him, and he was very fond of you too.”

“Thanks, I know,” Kaiba answered, unwittingly remembering a flash of their sexual romp in his soul room. Oh fuck. Yeah it was probably best Yugi didn’t know what was happening right now. His naïve little heart would be broken, and his wholesome view of Atem would be ruined.

“Well, back to it!” Yugi said cheerfully, patting his mouth with the napkin and inching several stools down to pick up his cards, and he countered Kaiba’s fusion summon with magic card preventing spell cards from being used for five turns.

“Are you serious?! It’s too late for that! I already fused and ended my turn!” Kaiba cried, and Yugi shook his head stubbornly at him.

“Food came right before I could respond! So you cheated by not asking for my response before fusing!” Yugi argued, tapping his magic card firmly. “Your move.”

Atem laughed and propped his head up on his hands, hovering at the end of the countertop, watching Kaiba and Yugi play an enthusiastic game, with the victor being Kaiba at the end with a trap card that depleted Yugi’s life points by effect. It was a dirty trick but….

 “I win,” Kaiba said gleefully, and to his annoyance, Yugi didn’t seem to care. Instead, he looked invigorated.

“Again tomorrow? Or maybe Saturday?” Yugi asked excitedly, gathering his cards together and sticking them back into his box on his belt. “And let me bring Anzu next time. She thought you were gonna murder me, but I had a lot of fun today, Kaiba!”

Kaiba set his mouth in a tight line and crossed his arms across his chest as Atem answered for him, floating around Yugi’s head joyfully.

“I miss her too,” the king gushed, throwing Kaiba a beaming smile that made his teeth ache. “Let them come visit me, Kaiba. They don’t bite.”

“Oh god,” Kaiba breathed, palming his face as he realized what was happening.  
He was being sucked…into the friendship squad, and Atem was nodding fervently at his shoulder.  
Fuck.

First, Yugi would invite the friendship girl over, and she would in turn, invite all their other friends. Sure, he could duel Yugi in any room in the house, or even outside while the nerd herd gathered inside and wrecked his game consoles….

It didn’t help that Mokuba was half-friends with them too.  
  
“Is that a yes?” Yugi asked hopefully, hopping off the stool and making his way to the exit. “Cool thanks! She likes to eat salads, so have your fancy chef guy make her a cool chicken salad or something.”

“Are they dating? I have to know! Kaiba, ask him before he leaves!” Atem cried, and Kaiba shook his head furiously, but to his horror, Atem dove into his body and took brief control of his mouth.

“Is Anzu your girlfriend?” Kaiba heard himself say, and he clapped a hand to his mouth, his eyes watering in pain at the way he’d accidentally slapped himself in the face. Fuck…Atem!

“U-Uh…I…I don’t know?!” Yugi replied, blushing furiously as his voice rose higher and higher. “We’ve only k-kissed like, one time!”

“Only once?” Kaiba echoed, in spite of himself, and he realized he’d asked that question himself, because Atem had floated out the door, seeing Yugi out of the house.

God...dammit!

Leaning forward on the counter, Kaiba buried his head in his arms, feeling exhaustion settle heavily down on his shoulders.

He’d thought that for once, he had achieved peace, but clearly not. His life was about to be livelier than ever.  
He’s spent most of his teenage years actively avoiding the Yugi-group, but it was inevitable. These people were his friends, because Atem was his significant other, and Atem wanted to see them to make sure they were well.

Fuck…everything.  
But aside from that minor annoyance, life was good.  
Life was really fucking good.

 **《** **END** **》  
**

* * *

**Author's note:**

wrote this as a comission for a dear friend!


	18. Hot [scandalshipping]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atem feels especially lonely after returning to the Afterlife and his priest can’t help but notice this odd change in behavior. What had happened to his beloved Atem all these years?
> 
> Tags: oneshot, smutshot, scandalshipping, atem x seth

Atem strode through the garden in the sweltering heat, aiming for the shaded halls of the palace. His heat tolerance had gone down.

The heat never used to bother him, but somehow, after returning from the confines of the puzzle and his life with Yugi in Japan, the heat here in Egypt was affecting him differently.

Spying a stone bench waiting for him in the awning of the hallway’s arched entryway, Atem made a beeline for it and sank down into the coolness with a sigh of relief. His shoulders burned from the sun. He ran his hands over his skin, feeling it sting in response.

Ah damn…. perhaps he’d been burned?

“My king?”

Atem heard Kaiba’s voice and he whipped his head around nervously, his heart thundering with disappointment when he saw Seth standing respectfully at a distance with his head bowed so much, his face wasn’t visible.

Damn, Seth. His priest was always popping up at the worst times, reminding him of what he’d lost.

His beloved rival, Kaiba.

Kaiba, with his flowing white trench coat, piercing blue eyes, and his rude, condescending tone, had been replaced with a quiet, polite, eager-to-please, look-alike with only slightly longer hair.

“Sun exhaustion?” Seth prompted, taking a careful step closer and keeping his head lowered and his eyes fixed on the golden anklet encircling Atem’s delicate foot.  
Ah the king…was brooding again.  
He missed modern life, that much was clear.

“Yes,” Atem replied stiffly, staring at the tops of Seth’s hair. He wasn’t wearing his full garments today, probably due to the heat. He could see Seth’s toned stomach peeking out from underneath the chest plate he always wore, and he had to look away quickly, his cheeks burning with arousal. This was Seth, not Kaiba, no matter how similar they looked.

“I’ll bring you an ointment,” Seth said, marching out into the garden without waiting for an answer and immediately felt the sun blasting down on his neck. Goodness. It was hot today. How long had the king spent walking out here before seeking shade? This couldn’t be healthy….

Spying the medicinal plant by his feet, Seth bent down swiftly to snap one spiked leaf off the stubby stalk and marched back into the palace hallway, seeing the king tense and look away, his ears oddly red.

Wh-What was that look?

Seth’s nervousness reached an all-time high as he approached the king’s feet and bowed deeply, making sure to keep his eyes lowered.

“Did I make you angry, Atem?” Seth asked quietly, choosing to address Atem by his full name to invoke a feeling of closeness. “If so, please, tell me what I’ve done so that I can correct it.”

Atem ground his teeth furiously and shook his head, wishing Seth would at least look him in the eye when speaking, but he knew that was asking too much. No one here looked him in the eye when they spoke, save for Solomon, but only because he was an Elder and commanded respect as one.

“My king?” Seth asked, his lower back aching from the way he kept himself bent forward, but he resolved to stay that way until he heard Atem say he was forgiven. The king had only been back for a short time, and he couldn’t bear the thought of having done something to upset him without knowing.

“Stand,” Atem said irritably, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “What do you have there in your hand?”

“Ah,” Seth straightened up quickly and held his palm out, showing Atem the spiked leaf of the medicinal plant.  “Al-sabar. For your shoulders.”

Atem’s eyelid twitched and he didn’t move. What was Seth suggesting? That he apply the medicine for him?

“Here, I’ll leave you be,” Seth said quietly, placing the plant beside Atem’s leg and ducking away with another hasty bow. “Call me if you need anything.”

Atem frowned at the sticky substance leaking from the tip of the plant’s leaf where Seth had broken it for him, and he eyed the priest’s tall form already striding down the hall, and he opened his mouth to call out to him against his better judgment.

“Seth? Come back,” Atem heard his own voice echoing through the empty halls, and a shiver went down his spine. What was he doing? This was wrong!

“Y-Yes my king,” Seth breathed, turning on his heel and walking back to where Atem was sitting, his heart pounding thickly in his ears as he wondered if he really was in trouble.

“I don’t want to touch this,” Atem said, his voice shaking at his own lie. “Can you do it for me?”

Seth’s face softened with relief and the priest nodded, swiftly sitting beside the king and giving the plant’s leaf a soft squeeze.

Atem looked away furiously, his ears and cheeks burning when he saw Seth lather his hands with the clear fluid and coat his tanned palms with it thickly before turning to him with a smile.

“Ready?” Seth asked gently, his heart leaping into his throat at the thought of touching the king so freely. “I will apply it…”

He slowly reached out to rest his hand on Atem’s shoulder, and to his relief, the king didn’t flinch, so he dragged his hand down his arm, coating his skin with the plant’s shiny, slick liquid, and his stomach churned uncomfortably.   
The king’s skin was…so soft.   
Better do it slowly so he could enjoy it…however sinful this was….

Atem bit the inside of his cheek painfully, his eyes watering with restraint as he kept his gaze nailed to Seth’s beautiful hands sliding down his arms. Kaiba’s hands were this beautiful. He missed them. He was being touched…so lovingly…oh how his heart ached for this….  
  
“Let me see,” Seth frowned, peeling the plant apart and scraping the rest out over his skin, and Atem shuddered, hating the sticky coldness. He preferred Seth’s hands.

Seth noticed Atem’s expression changing, so he stopped, and squeezed the rest of the plant’s juices into his palm before reaching forward to curl his fingers around Atem’s slender shoulders, his ears ringing with a strange sound as he fixated on Atem’s delicate collarbones. So pretty. It had been so long since he’d seen the king up close. He daringly trailed his gaze up higher, past Atem’s slender neck, which was decorated with a multitude of golden neckbands, before stopping at a pair of wonderfully pink, plump lips.

Atem held his breath, feeling the stickiness dry off his skin as he stared intently at the bridge of Seth’s nose. He was hovering very close, too close. Atem caught a whiff of his sweet breath, and it made his heart clench painfully. Dare he do it?

He leaned closer forward, intending on pressing his lips across the bridge of Seth’s nose, but to his horror, Seth leaned away at the same time and smiled at him, looking him full in the face for the first time.

“Finished,” Seth announced, and he panicked when he saw the king’s expression darken suddenly.

“Thank you,” Atem said, trying to keep the disappointment from leaking into his voice, but he knew it was showing badly. “You may go.”

“A-Ah…very well,” Seth replied awkwardly, gripping the spiky leaf in his fist as his frustration rose. “What’s wrong, Majesty? Please, confide in me. Don’t keep behaving recklessly—”

“I miss them, alright?” Atem fumed, his eyes flashing dangerously at Seth, hating his meekness in that moment. “My life changed too suddenly. I didn’t get to say goodbye to the person I loved.”

 _Loved?_ Seth thought, his stomach wrenching at Atem’s blunt words. Who was it that Atem loved?! Dare he ask?

“Well, I’m sure she understands,” Seth said, nodding absently and twisting the aloe leaf tighter in his hands, feeling the plant disintegrate little by little.

“It’s a man,” Atem replied viciously, his eyes nailed to Seth’s face for any negative changes, but all he saw was pure shock, before his priest’s cheeks began steadily reddening, and that caused his own heart to skip a few nervous beats. H-Handsome….  
  
“Then _he_ will understand that you have a life here you need to live,” Seth said, his voice turning cold and firm. “Your life is here, with me—with us. Don’t lament the past, Pharaoh. Live your life now. You deserve it.”

Atem nodded shallowly, wondering why Seth’s tone had changed so drastically, but he didn’t have time to ask. His priest rose from the stone bench, gave him a curt bow, and swept down the hall with the remnants of the plant balled in his fist.

Leaning back into the wall, Atem crossed his feet and laced his hands behind his head, closing his eyes and deciding he’d take a nap. Seth’s words held some truth. He had to live now, in this moment. This was his reward, after all. His Afterlife was his own private slice of heaven. Why was he making it hell for himself pining for a man who supposedly loved him but was never more than _vague_ about it?

Kaiba was known for being directly indirect. It was irritating. Better not think about it too much.  
  


* * *

Seth plunged his hands into the basin of water, ridding himself of the plant’s stickiness while his mind raced with a thousand questions and possibilities, each one stamped down by his own guilty voice shouting back at him to stop thinking such sinful thoughts.

Atem had said he loved a man.

Had loved.

Past tense.

It was a man.

Did this mean…Atem’s preference had always been men?

No. It was wrong to hope.

Atem was the king, and he was a priest. What’s more, they shared some blood, not that it mattered because they would never have children, but still! Shared blood was shared blood.

It only made their bond closer…

NO! That was wrong! It was wrong to think such filthy thoughts—

“Priest Seth?” A deep voice rang from behind him, and Seth whirled around nervously, his cheeks flushed when he thought it was Atem for a moment, but it was only the Ambassador, Shadi.

“Greetings,” Seth mumbled politely, feeling a rush of resentment for the official. What now? He was trying to have a peaceful afternoon without being prodded about work.

“I need you to travel to three villages over,” Shadi said, getting right to the point. “They’re claiming their crops aren’t growing as full as they used to, and I asked them how a visit from us would solve it, but they haven’t replied because postage is slow, so…a visit and a prayer for them will stop their whining. Priest?”

“Yes, right away,” Seth sighed, giving Shadi a curt bow and brushing past him without another word. Damn. He was being sent out…again!

Whatever. Better get it over with quickly.

He hurried back into his room to pack a bag, his mind still churning with sinful thoughts about Atem and the way his delicate earring dangled down the side of his neck, and the way his skin glistened in the sun….

 _Stop it! He’s your blood! And he’s younger than you!_ Seth railed, locking himself safely in his room and grabbing the leather bag he kept hanging beside the bed.

He carelessly tossed two spare sets of robes into it and snatched the Millennium Rod off the stand on his vanity, his fingers closing tightly around the cold metal as he briefly wondered if a prayer would work on himself.

Better try it just in case.

Walking to the window, Seth drew the curtains and knelt on the floor atop his embroidered sajjāda* and pressed his forehead to the ground with his hands tucked tightly against the sides of his face, his lips moving silently.

 _Please cleanse me,_ Seth prayed, his eyes watering against his will as he chanted his mantras five times over. _Clear my mind of sin._

A soft knock sounded at his door, interrupting his prayer mid-mantra, and Seth slowly sat up on his heels, his head heavy with sadness.

“Come in…” he said wearily, and to his rising anxiety, it was Atem, standing apprehensively at the doorway, gazing at him with those large, angular eyes.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Atem apologized, easing the door shut quietly, realizing he was interrupting Seth in his prayers. “I’ll come back.”

Seth was always praying.   
Another key difference between Seth and Kaiba.   
Seth was an avid believer, and Kaiba scorned God, often claiming to have surpassed Him.   
It was hard to believe that Kaiba was the reincarnation of Seth.   
They couldn’t be more different.

“No! I have time now,” Seth leapt to his feet and raced to the door, pulling it open and beckoning for Atem to come inside. “What is it? Are the burns stinging more? If so, go to a Medic…”

“No, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about,” Atem said slowly, his gaze roaming around Seth’s bed and landing on the drawn curtains, the prayer mat on the floor, and the large, inviting bed…where a bag full of robes was packed and ready to go.  
Was Seth…leaving?!

“Well, say it quickly. Shadi is sending me three villages over,” Seth said, nodding at Atem and his packed bag. “What is it, my king?”

They stood in awkward silence before Atem finally mustered the courage to ask, “Could you address me…by another name?”

“Oh? Yes, of course,” Seth agreed readily without giving it a second thought. “What should I call you instead, my…liege?”

Atem made a disgusted face and Seth’s chest tightened painfully with emotion. Ah. That had been a bad move.

“It’s a nickname my friends from the modern world gave me,” Atem said, treading carefully while his heart pounded in his ears at what he was about to do. “Can you call me…Yami? But, only in private. I don’t want Solomon or Isis catching wind of this.”

“Yami?” Seth wondered, his confusion rising. “That’s a woman’s name.”

“It…means something different in Japanese,” Atem said in an embarrassed rush, and he regretted telling Seth about it immensely. “Never mind, Seth. Forget we ever talked about this. Safe travels.”  
Experiment failed.   
Seth asked the most horrid questions.  
Time to leave.

Seth opened and closed his mouth in protest, trying to find his voice, but it had vanished. Atem was already gone, leaving the door half-open behind him in his haste.

W-What did that name mean then? And why did he suddenly close up and refuse to talk about it?

Atem wanted to be treated like a woman?

Shoving his questions aside, Seth grabbed his bag and strode out of the room, intent on returning as soon as possible, so he could continue observing Atem and his strange new behavior.

Yami. What a strange but delightful change, quite befitting of the king.  
Atem _was_ beautiful…more so than most women…

 _Stop…it!_ Seth hissed angrily at himself, wondering which god he should prostrate himself before to effectively cleanse himself of these sinful thoughts. Any God. All gods.   
He had a lot of research ahead of him.

* * *

Atem tossed and turned furiously for the next few nights, eagerly waiting for Seth’s return, but he knew it would be at least a week before he’d see his priest’s face again.

Pent up and frustrated, he threw the covers off himself and marched down the hall to enter Seth’s room in the dark, not caring how odd this looked. He was going mad and needed to do something.

A pile of Seth’s clothes was sitting in a woven basket by the door, waiting to be picked up by a maid, and Atem reached his arm into it, yanking out an undergarment and pressing it to his nose. He took a deep inhale, his body stiffening with guilt as the enticing scent of something warm and sweet rose up around him.

Seth’s scent…was so calming.

This was sin, Atem was sure of it, but he didn’t care.

He tossed the undergarment onto Seth’s bed and crawled underneath the sheets, sinking into the softness and letting the comforting sweetness wash over him again. Just once. He would only do it just this once…

Atem reached a hand down between his legs to grab his own stiffness, keeping Seth’s underpants pressed to his nose while he pleasured himself excitedly, his breath coming out in heavy puffs when he felt a rush of heat tingle between his legs, which spurred him on further, more, imagining Seth’s hair cascading own his shoulders while his body moved sensually over his, and his blue eyes dark under the candle lights while they made, gentle sweet love…

Seth would touch him gently, like he was afraid of breaking him. His fingers would flutter gently down his sides and caress his hips while they moved together in synch… drinking in each other’s breaths while never breaking eye contact….  
  
Shuddering in his own hand, Atem gave himself several more stiff jerks upwards before he stuffed Seth’s underpants down between his legs to catch the hot stream of semen leaking out from the tip of his dick.

Thunking his head back breathlessly on the pillows, Atem shut his eyes and felt himself tearing up. Oh Gods….

He was going to Hell for this.

Still shaking from the residual threads of pleasure and guilt, Atem peeled the covers off himself and tossed the soiled undergarments back into the basket and tiptoed safely back into his room.

Hating himself, Atem buried himself underneath his own sheets and willed for sleep to come. If he did this often enough, the horrible twisting, churning feeling in his stomach would go away every time he laid his eyes on Seth, he was sure of it.

* * *

Seth let the entire throne room bow to him before he nodded and tucked his Millennium Rod safely back into the embroidered sash tied around his hips. His work here was done. He’d helped them by leading prayers for three days and three nights.   
Time to go home, at last…  
He could finally look upon the Pharaoh’s beautiful, bare legs, strung up in those wonderful sandals he wore where the leather straps snuck up a slender, tanned calf—

“Thank you for your service, Priest,” the princess bowed, and Seth nodded, forgetting to bow back in his moment of embarrassment.

The princess noticed a pink tinge on the handsome Priest’s face, and she smiled softly, reaching into the pocket of her robes and presenting him with the gift that had prepared. It was a black satin pouch tied with a pretty bow on top.

“I hope this fragrance will remind you of your time spent here,” she said quietly, and Seth accepted the satin pouch and tucked it into his robes without a second thought and remembered to bow back.

 “Thank you, Majesty,” he said robotically, staring down at the tips of her feet and his stomach curled when he saw that they were not as delicate as Atem’s, even though her toes and toenails had been decorated carefully with henna.   
Atem was prettier by far.

“You didn’t even try it!” She pouted, and Seth nodded, taking out to give the pouch an obligatory sniff before tucking it away again.

The scent was heavy, and almost sweet. It left an odd tang at the back of his throat, but it wasn’t unpleasant. This scent was more for women…probably.   
He didn’t care for pouched scents.   
He had so many now, he didn’t know what to do with any of it, so they’d been stored in a growing collection, forgotten in a woven basket somewhere under his bed.  
They were meaningless gifts given as thanks by the poor.  
He would accept it graciously and go home…to look upon Atem’s legs instead of this princess’s henna-adorned feet.

“Safe travels,” she said airily, turning with a careless wave over her shoulder. “Come visit again, Seth, but as a suitor next time, alright?”

“I am not suited for you, Princess,” Seth said stiffly, feeling an alien rage rear its ugly head inside him at this suggestion. He was dedicated to Atem! How _dare she_ …even _say_ such a thing!

“We’ll see,” she replied sweetly, and Seth hastily turned to exit the throne room, not wanting to stay another minute. This visit had ended on a hellish note. He didn’t want to marry into another village. He was perfectly happy in the palace, without a maiden at his side…so he could keep attending to Atem, whatever his needs may be.

Perhaps the king would carelessly burn his shoulders again…

Shaking his head angrily, Seth strode through the halls of the princess’s house, intent on getting back to his room to pick up his belongings. It was comfortable here, and his room was quite large, but he did not envy them. He knew Atem would gladly give him a larger room if he asked.

Time to get out of here and go home.

* * *

Atem heard the clopping of hooves echoing through the palace walls, and he raced to the front gates, nearly tripping over several guards standing at attention by the hallways, but he didn’t apologize and dashed past them.

Seth? Was that Seth returning?

Standing breathlessly at the double-wide doorway, Atem’s heart soared with relief when he saw Seth hop out of the carriage with his bag hooked around his slender arm, looking tired and handsome, but otherwise, well.

“Welcome back!” Atem called, forgetting himself for a moment and running out of the gates to throw his arms around Seth’s waist, hearing frantic shouts from the guards behind him.

“King!”

“Pharaoh! Please, stay inside!”

Seth stiffened frantically as Atem’s arms tightened around his body, and his skin burned at the sudden contact. A-Atem’s cheek was…p-pressing so tightly against his…stomach…

Atem froze when he caught a familiar scent drifting up from Seth’s robes, and he buried his face deeper into his skin, wondering if he was hallucinating.   
This sweet, chocolaty scent…it was unmistakable!   
The scent of coffee beans!

“No touching,” Seth managed to say gruffly, and Atem dropped his arms in disappointment, backing away apologetically and turning away to hide the embarrassed flush creeping across his face.

“You smell nice,” Atem breathed, hoping the compliment would help diffuse the tension. “I’ll see you inside.

Seth stood very still and watched Atem disappear back inside the palace gates, and he wondered if Atem really liked the scent of the pouch. Well, he would wear it more often now if it had that effect on the king.

Atem raced through the palace, his cheeks burning with fury as he palmed the tears off his face and slammed the door to his room, locking himself safely inside as he sagged against it, hating everything.

Had Seth done that on purpose?

That cold voice.   
_‘No touching’._   
And the scent, oh that familiar scent he’d missed so much. Every time Kaiba brushed past him in the hallway at the arena, that scent would follow.

 _I hate it_ , Atem chanted to himself, stumbling over to his bed and falling face-down onto it _. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!_

His body was shaking from his brief encounter with Seth, and he was sweating from the heat. Goddamn. But it was too hot to do anything. So he’d just lay here, hearing Seth calling to him softly from the other side of the door.

“My king? May I come in?”

Shutting his eyes tightly, Atem nodded, not caring how undignified he looked.

Seth creaked the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind himself and bowing quickly. “Sorry for the intrusion—” and his voice caught in his throat when he saw the right up the king’s robes while Atem lay with his legs hanging off the side of the bed.

A-Ah…this was bad.  
  
“I’ll come back later!” Seth said hastily, his face red as he turned to reach for the door handle, and his world slowed when he heard Atem give him a command.

“Come untie my shoes.” His voice was muffled by the sheets.

There was a tense silence before Seth nodded and said, “Right away…my king.”

Atem set his jaw and remained still. That had been an opportune moment for Seth to call him _‘Yami’_ , and he had hesitated. Typical Seth. Always being too polite.

Seth steeled himself to feel nothing as he bent down dutifully at the edge of the king’s bed and wrapped his hands around one of his slender calves, slowly undoing the leather straps tied around his leg. It fell away easily, and Seth breathed a sigh of relief.

This wasn’t too bad. He wasn’t feeling or thinking anything dirty.

Time for the other foot.

Atem curled his fingers into the sheets, remaining resolutely face down, his ears burning with humiliation when he was fully aware that Seth could see up his robes and he wasn’t doing anything about it. He wasn’t saying anything about it either.   
Of course Seth wouldn’t do or say anything. It would be _impolite_.

Holding his breath, Seth gave Atem’s shoe a gentle tug and caught it before it fell. He set them together at the edge of the bed by the nightstand and stood hastily, not wanting to see the pharaoh’s exposed thighs anymore, because his heart was pounding too fast in his chest.   
It felt wrong to look upon the king when he had his guard lowered like that.

“Are you tired, Seth?” Atem asked, not moving from his position, only turning his head to look at his priest, who was hovering by the door.

“I am,” Seth answered shakily, trying to keep his eyes lowered, but they kept trailing up the king’s tanned, slender legs which weren’t adorned with his usual, golden jewelry.

“Then rest,” Atem said, hoping Seth would catch on without him saying it, but to his immense disappointment, he saw Seth bow deeply again and move towards the door.

“I do plan on resting, my king,” Seth said awkwardly, and he heard an annoyed hiss coming from the bed.

“Rest…here,” Atem growled, and his chest tightened when Seth agreed immediately.

“Very well. I can be comfortable on the prayer mat,” Seth said amicably, moving to Atem’s window and hearing another annoyed hiss.

“Seth, what is wrong with you?” Atem asked, sounding almost disgusted. “Come sit on the bed. That’s an order.”

Seth broke out into a cold sweat, facing the window, extremely glad he had his back turned to the bed. Were his ears deceiving him? The king wanted him to sit on…his bed? An act that was punishable by death if anyone were to see it happening? Not even the king’s wife was allowed to be in the king’s bed without permission, and here, Atem was giving him…permission?   
No, it was an _order._  
An order to sin.  
  
“Did you not hear me?” Atem wondered, pushing himself up on his elbows. “I said, come sit here. Don’t make me ask you again, or I’ll be angry.”

Seth set his jaw and said nothing. His voice had left him, and his body was moving on its own as he drifted towards the bed and sat down gingerly on the edge. His body was on fire. His ass was on the king’s bed. Never in a million years would any god forgive him for doing this…even though he was ordered to do it.

Atem caught a whiff of the enticing scent of coffee beans and he patted the pillows encouragingly.

“Lay down, you’re tired,” he coaxed, and to his rising annoyance, Seth gave him a tight shake of his head.

“I can’t…not on your bed, Atem,” Seth begged quietly, wondering if death was near. “May I stand now?”

“I said, lay down,” Atem hissed, starting to lose his patience. _“Now!”_

“V-Very well,” Seth yelped, and he laid down robotically, feeling his head spin the moment his hair splayed out across the pillows, but he kept his feet planted on the ground beside the edge of the bed.

“Shoes off. Act like you need the rest, Seth,” Atem snapped, folding his arms across his chest and sitting back on his heels, seeing Seth’s eyes slowly widen. In the sunlight coming in from the window, they were a beautiful, clear, bright blue.   
Kaiba’s eyes.   
He couldn’t stop seeing Kaiba in Seth.   
He must do something about it before he went mad, or he’d be running into Seth’s bed to do unspeakable things and get caught…

Seth swallowed thinly and sat up, bending down to unlace his sandals, hating how his heart was thudding so loudly in his own ears, they became a low hum.   
What was happening?   
Better not question it.   
The king always had something in mind, and it was his job to do as he was told.

His shoes loosened, and he set them aside, shakily lifting his long legs to lay down on the bed, keeping his gaze respectfully away from Atem, his body drenched in nervous sweat.   
Oh gods. He was sweating on the king’s bed….

“See? Was that so hard?” Atem asked shrewdly, understanding that he had to tell Seth to do everything. “Now, look at me.”

Seth blinked and obediently turned his head, his heart skipping a painful beat when their eyes met, and they stared silently at each other for what seemed like eternity before Atem looked away first, his expression sorrowful.

No. He could pretend all he wanted, but Seth would always gaze at him like he was a precious object. He missed the fiery glares and the harsh insults from Kaiba. Maybe he could try this with Seth. He was going insane.

“Say something horrible to me,” Atem said shakily, giving Seth a nervous glance, but to his annoyance, his priest was looking away respectfully again.

“Like what?” Seth asked, and Atem felt like screaming.

“Like an insult. Say what you really think,” Atem said impatiently, curling his fingertips over his knees, his heart aching with loneliness. “Say it, while being angry with me. Go on. That’s an order.”

“A-An insult?” Seth stammered, turning his head to give Atem a shocked look.

His mind raced with questions, but he mildly understood. Atem wanted someone to fight with?

So Seth instantly complied, narrowing his eyes at the king and scoffing, “You want to know what I really think? You’re _indecent.”_

“Oh, is that the best you can do?” Atem jeered, his heart racing excitedly at the sneer curving on Seth’s lips, but it disappeared as soon as it came.

“Yes?” Seth asked carefully, and Atem’s face darkened again. Oh dear. Better keep up the act to make him happy….

“You’re annoying,” Seth huffed, not meaning his words at all, but his spirits soared when Atem raised his head to look at him hopefully.

“Really?” Atem wondered, and he wasn’t prepared for the barrage of insults streaming from his beloved Priest’s mouth.

“You’re filthy-minded, and you still act like a child,” Seth continued, thinking this was a great opportunity to unload his innermost feelings under the guise of…a pretend fight?

“You rely on me for everything and you’re absent minded. We live in a place where the sun never stops shining. What possessed you to walk out there and get burned?”

Seth held his breath, biting his tongue and screaming at himself to stop.

 “Filthy-minded? Child?” Atem echoed, his blood boiling. “You think I rely on you for everything?”

“I think you are…beneath me,” Seth said stiffly, unable to believe his own words. Why was he saying these things that he didn’t believe?  Was that a good enough insult? Clearly, it was time to shut up!

“Really?” Atem seethed, now properly angry, and without thinking, he climbed atop Seth’s body and locked his knees down on either side of the priest’s waist, effectively pinning him down onto the mattress.

Seth let out a startled cry and all his earlier confidence vanished in a flash. He’d made Atem angry! He hadn’t meant to; he was just doing as he was told!

“ _You_ are beneath _me_ ,” Atem breathed, raking his palms down Seth’s bare chest, appreciating that the priest hadn’t properly gotten dressed before visiting him in his room.

“I-I …am...” Seth replied meekly, curling his fingertips nervously over the top of the sheets. “Please…let me up now. I didn’t mean it. Any of it.”

“Too bad, I don’t believe you,” Atem narrowed his eyes coldly down at his priest, his vision blurring mightily when his mind briefly overlaid Kaiba’s desperate expression together with Seth’s frantic one.

“Atem, I’m sor—” Seth was cut off with a vicious kiss, and his stomach dipped down violently when their lips met. A hot, silky tongue was shoved in through the fronts of his teeth, and Seth balked privately, his body screaming in protest, but his lower half was…excited.

“What’s my name?” Atem asked threateningly, bending down to give the top of Seth’s hair a quick sniff, searching for the elusive coffee bean scent. “Where’s your perfume? Are you wearing it today?”

Seth shook his head mutely, his lips stinging and swelling with agony while he fought a silent war with himself. That had felt good. That had been wrong! So wrong! But it had felt so good!

“Wear it, often,” Atem insisted, leaning forward magnetically to kiss Seth again, trying to stop himself, but he’d given up a long time ago. Seth’s breath was sweet and wet. He kept his mouth open at the end of their kiss, panting breathlessly with his eyes wild, filled with silent desperation, asking…for more.

More?   
Atem dove forward and draped his arms around Seth’s shoulders, feeling Seth trembling and hiccupping with fear underneath him, and that somehow spurred him on. Did Seth still insist on treating him like a child now? He could feel Seth’s hardness poking up solidly through his robes, and Atem brought his hand down over it, wrinkling the fabric over his leaking tip, knowing the roughness felt good, and he gave Seth a few spiteful rubs up and down, feeling Seth shiver happily underneath him and buck his hips upwards shamelessly. Who was the filthy one now?

Weak with a mixture of dread and pleasure, Seth felt Atem touching his private areas, and his face burned, wondering why he was being treated like a wife. Was Atem lonely? Confused? They were both men…!

“Atem—” Seth cried, but he was muffled with another passionate kiss, and this time, Atem’s tongue did not stop thrusting into his mouth, sending wild shivers down his spine. No…no! This was wrong!

“I didn’t ask you to speak,” Atem hissed, landing a playful bite on Seth’s collarbone and tasting the wonderful tang of his skin. Oh…heavenly. If he tasted like this here, then what did he taste like elsewhere?

“You asked me what your name was,” Seth breathed barely able to talk through his distress as Atem’s hands slid lower…lower…quickly undoing the sash on his waist and tossing it aside carelessly.

“That’s not the correct name,” Atem answered plainly, yanking Seth’s robes down over his hips to expose his hardness, clothed in a pair of familiar undergarments. He undid the knot quickly and it fell away to reveal the most enticing arousal poking rigidly up from Seth’s body while his stomach swooped and clenched with emotion.

“I-I’m sorry,” Seth stammered, the room swimming violently in his vision while a pleasure-headache began building behind his head when he saw his own dick sticking up right beside Atem’s bare leg. Oh gods. Oh gods!

“No you’re not,” Atem said coldly, hovering his palm over Seth’s dick and catching another wide-eyed stare from his priest. “Keep apologizing, and I’ll—”

“I’m sorry! I’m very sorry! Please let me go, I mean, let me up,” Seth ranted, his eyes never leaving the tip of his penis which had brushed precariously over the pharaoh’s open palm, and he strained and flexed, cursing his body, wishing it would go down, but also craving to be touched. If the king’s hand touched him there…he might die…  
Did the king say if he kept apologizing, his dick would get touched?!  
Oh gods! He was truly sorry now!

Atem sighed and gazed lovingly down at Seth, understanding that he was pushing his priest too much. He couldn’t torture and tease Seth the way he’d do with Kaiba.   
Seth was different. Softer, kinder, gentler.   
He needed to be told what to do, and when asked to apologize, he’d never stop until he was sure he’d been forgiven.

“No, I’m sorry,” Atem said gently, bringing his hand down and grabbing Seth’s length to give it a sensual squeeze, feeling it throb and pulse eagerly in his palm. “There, is that better?”

Seth shook his head and nodded wildly, unsure of what to do with himself. The reality of the situation had hit him incredibly hard. He was naked, on his back, on the king’s bed, being serviced. Oh gods. Oh gods. Oh gods.  
And now the king’s hand, with its many golden rings, was moving up and down along his shaft. Atem’s other hand had come around to dip between his thighs, to give his balls a teasing squeeze, so much that he was confused with happiness, his ears ringing with terror and ecstasy.   
What was happening?!

Atem saw Seth’s eyes glaze over, and he recognized this expression. He’d retreated into his head and there was no way to bring him out until he came out himself.

He let go of Seth’s shaft and reached into his nightstand, pulling out two spare leaves from the aloe vera he’d collected from the garden earlier today, giving Seth a nod, and seeing his blue eyes widen with confusion.

 _What? He wants me to apply his ointment?_ Seth wondered hazily, he received the shock of his life when Atem slathered his palm with it and brought it down on his tortured erection, giving the red tip a squeeze before raising up on his knees and pulling off his robe with a flourish, relishing in the embarrassed look Seth gave him.

Opening his mouth to speak, Seth realized his voice had died when he saw Atem turn around, straddle his knees, and pry his asscheeks apart, giving him full view of a pretty, pink hole that was trembling and twitching with excitement. Shocked, Seth couldn’t move, watching a tanned hand poke and prod messily at the hole while coated with a clear, sticky substance, and Atem’s voice rang deeply in his ears.

“When you were gone…I thought about you…in here,” Atem breathed, seeing Seth’s legs shake violently beneath him. “What do you think about that, Seth?”

When he received no answer, Atem lowered his ass teasingly over Seth’s tip, his arms trembling with effort to keep himself up as he threw Seth a seductive look over his shoulder, “Well?”

Seth shook his head. He kept shaking his head. Perhaps if he kept saying ‘no’, his body wouldn’t want it. Too late. His dick was weeping and throbbing uncomfortably, and the sight of Atem spread out before him was…too much to bear. How indecent! Truly indecent! All of his earlier words were true, and he wasn’t going to take them back now!

“Stay silent, and I will never…let you have your release,” Atem threatened weakly, his ass already lowering, feeling Seth’s warm tip bump against his hole. Seth was still silent, gaping in mild horror and excitement as Atem’s hole slowly swallowed the tip of his dick, sending a jolt of pleasure so extreme, he couldn’t keep his eyes open to continue viewing the spectacle.

All he could do was feel…feel the way Atem kept slamming his ass down onto his erection, laughing at him, teasing him for the faces he was making…and it made his face burn with a strange feeling.

“Look at you…pathetic!” Atem cried, unable to help himself as he spasmed the moment he lifted himself off of Seth’s dick, enjoying his priest’s flushed expression with his head thrown back on the pillows in a deep bliss, with his hands lying limply at his sides.

 “Hey, open your eyes. Look at me,” Atem commanded, feeling Seth shiver violently in protest again. “Touch me. Don’t just sit there like a dead man. That’s an order.”

Seth obeyed without question, gladly wrapping his hands around the king’s waist, seeing his ass lower in his vision again, and his ears rang tinny with a horrible sound. Sex. They were having sex.

This was sex between two men, and Atem had just...carelessly…let him…enter from behind.

“My legs…can’t,” Atem panted angrily, his thighs burning from the intense thrusting he’d been doing. “You move. And that’s an—”

“Order, I know,” Seth said darkly, his expression changing in an instant, Atem was caught off guard.

He was pushed forward so fast, his cheek was pressed against the mattress, and Seth was up on his knees in a flash, thrusting into him with reckless abandon, his hands raking intrusively down the sides of his body, bunching up the jewelry he usually wore around his neck and pressing it uncomfortably into his skin, but Atem paid it no mind. He was being filled, lovingly, passionately, without pause, and Seth seemed to know what he wanted without him having to say anything.

He was rolled over onto his back, and large hands grabbed at his ankles, prying his legs apart as a thick heat prodded his center, and Seth’s lustful expression appeared above him.

Lips were clamped down tightly over his as Seth rocked into him furiously, sending rough jolts of pleasure tingling up his body and down his legs. It was good…! Seth’s lips trailed down his neck, past his shoulders, and across his chest to his nipples where teeth stung each raised peak while Seth’s hot length continued to slide in and out of him at a relentless pace. Oh, gods! Finally!

Seth could barely keep his eyes open as he drank in the sight of Atem splayed out underneath him, his pretty lips parted, silently whispering for more, deeper, faster, and for him never to stop, so his body and mind complied automatically without thinking.   
Did Atem want to be done on his back? On his side? At all angles? Very well!

Seth pulled out slowly and pushed Atem over on his side, lifting one of his slender legs and tucking it under his arm, his hips moving on their own because each forward thrust brought indescribable, mind-warping pleasure to the front of his mind, and his body trembled with happiness every time Atem tightened lewdly over his dick, crying out weakly that he’d had enough, but no…he hadn’t, clearly, because his body was asking for more. The king’s legs were still tightly clamped around his waist, showing no signs of letting up even though they were twitching every which way while he orgasmed roughly with a quick spurt of semen that splattered down down his stomach and onto the bed.

 Atem found himself flipped onto his stomach again, and his body ached in protest, but his heart was soaring. Seth was enjoying this! He was having his way without being told what to do!

He was entered again, swiftly, without warning, but he welcomed it, shuddering happily as he clenched repeatedly around Seth’s dick, knowing it felt good, because he saw a smile curving on the corners of his beautiful lips. Something hot, and wet, gushed into his hole, and Atem let out a soft cry, feeling a hand clamp down over his mouth to silence him.

“Quiet! You want to be heard?” Seth hissed, terrified. His fear had come rushing back the second he orgasmed, and he didn’t have time to enjoy the sweat beading down Atem’s beautiful skin, or the way his spiky blond bangs matted to his forehead. He was too worried that he’d be caught and sentenced to death. They’d both be killed.

Atem shook his head frantically, and Seth pulled his hand away, and pulled out of his ass gently, too gently, and he shivered violently as a strange shudder racked his body. What an…incredible feeling…!

“Come on,” Seth said gently, trying to ignore the residual jolts of pleasure he got whenever he moved his body while he helped Atem off the bed and into the bathroom to wash up. “We can’t have anyone see you like this.”

Atem nodded weakly and let Seth sit him down on the bench inside the bathroom beside the wash basin. His head was spinning, and his ears were ringing. Seth hadn’t called him by the name he’d asked, but perhaps…there was a next time?

“I’ll wash up in my room,” Seth said anxiously, patting his hair down in the mirror. “Clean up, alright?”

Atem nodded, his disappointment rising at the distance that seemed to instantly return the moment they left the bed, but he was proven wrong when Seth bravely bent down to press a kiss to his cheek before hastily straightening up again and hurrying out of the bathroom, leaving him sitting alone in the ringing silence.

Progress. Tiny steps. Seth was his already. It was only a matter of getting him to do what he wanted.

Pleased with this thought, Atem sank his hands into the basin and smiled to himself, storing away the happy memory for a private moment later on.

* * *

 **Author's note:**  
  
Another lovely commission! :D


End file.
